Omnisexual
Attraction to people of all genders, where gender is noticed and matters.
Omnisexual means being attracted to people of all genders, with gender remaining visible and relevant to the attraction. The range is total; the awareness of difference stays.
That last part is what separates it from pansexual, and it is the whole reason the word exists. A pansexual person typically describes gender as not a factor, something they do not really register. An omnisexual person registers it clearly and is drawn to all of it, often differently depending on the gender in front of them.
A useful way to hear the difference: pansexual is gender-blind, omnisexual is gender-aware. Neither is more open than the other, and neither is a stricter version of the other. They are two honest answers to the same question about how attraction actually feels from the inside.
Omnisexual people often notice that their attraction has different textures. What draws them to a man is not the same as what draws them to a woman or to a nonbinary person, and none of those is a lesser version of the others. Pattern and preference can coexist with a range that leaves nobody out.
It sits comfortably under the multisexual umbrella alongside bisexual, pansexual, polysexual and others. Many people use two or three of these words in different rooms, choosing the one that will be understood rather than the one that is most precise.
The prefix comes from the Latin omnis, meaning all. The flag, in pinks, purple and near-black, dates from around 2015 and circulated on Tumblr before reaching anywhere else, which is true of a good deal of this vocabulary.
Omnisexual and pansexual are not the same word twice
People often treat them as interchangeable, or assume one is simply a newer label for the other. The difference is real and it is about whether gender registers. Pansexual describes attraction where gender does not come into it. Omnisexual describes attraction to everyone where gender very much does, and shapes what the attraction feels like.
The second confusion is with bisexual. Bisexual has meant attraction to more than one gender for decades and covers a great deal of ground, including the omnisexual experience. Many omnisexual people call themselves bi in most contexts and omni when they want to be precise. Choosing one is not a rejection of the other.
Saying it well
Say this
- I am omnisexual: all genders, and I notice the difference.
- Omni, though I usually just say bi.
- Attraction to everyone, not attraction that ignores gender.
- Omnisexual, under the multisexual umbrella.
Not this
- So it is just pansexual with extra steps
- That is the same as bisexual, why the new word
- You must be attracted to literally everyone then
- Treating a stated preference as proof the label is false
Questions people actually ask
What does omnisexual mean?
Attraction to people of all genders, where gender is still noticed and still shapes the attraction. The range is complete and the awareness of difference remains.
What is the difference between omnisexual and pansexual?
Whether gender registers. Pansexual attraction generally treats gender as not a factor. Omnisexual attraction includes everyone while gender stays visible and relevant.
Is omnisexual under the bisexual umbrella?
It can be. Bisexual means attraction to more than one gender, which covers omnisexual experience. Many people use both words depending on who they are talking to.
Can omnisexual people have preferences?
Yes. Having types, or being drawn to different genders in different ways, does not contradict the word. Omnisexual describes who is possible, not that everyone is equally likely.
Where does the word come from?
From the Latin omnis, meaning all. The term and its pink and purple flag spread through Tumblr in the mid 2010s, like much of this vocabulary.
What is the difference between omnisexual and polysexual?
How many genders. Polysexual means attraction to many genders but not necessarily all of them. Omnisexual means attraction to all genders, with gender still noticed.