Bi any other name
Mount Holyoke Professor Corey Flanders explains that pansexuality is an identity distinct from bisexuality.
Bisexuality and pansexuality are often conflated in popular culture, but they are distinct identities, said Corey Flanders, associate professor of psychology and education at Mount Holyoke College, in an article for Women’s Health.
“There are a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions about pansexuality, and one of the most prominent ones is that pansexuality doesn’t exist or isn’t a ‘real’ sexual identity. This is absolutely false,” Flanders said.
Flanders, who runs the Welnness, Identity, Sexuality and Health research lab at Mount Holyoke, said that ignoring the distinction is harmful to people who identify as pansexual because it erases their identity.