Omnisexual: Meaning, All-Gender Attraction, and Identity

For example, they may be attracted to women, men, and nonbinary people. Gender may influence the way attraction feels, but no gender is automatically excluded.

Being omnisexual does not mean wanting sex with everyone. Attraction remains selective and depends on the individual.

• an omnisexual person;
• an omnisexual identity;
• omnisexual attraction;
• omnisexual representation;
• the omnisexual community.

It may also appear after a linking verb:

• She is omnisexual.
• He identifies as omnisexual.
• The character is openly omnisexual.

The word may function as a noun:

• She describes herself as an omnisexual.

However, omnisexual person often sounds more natural.

The related noun is omnisexuality:

• The article explains omnisexuality.
• Omnisexuality is a multisexual orientation.

• omni-, meaning all;
• sexual, referring here to sexual attraction.

The prefix indicates that all genders may be included in potential attraction. It does not imply constant desire, equal attraction, or attraction to every person.

• They are omnisexual.
• She has an omnisexual identity.

Omnisexuality is the noun naming the orientation:

• Omnisexuality involves possible attraction toward all genders.

The difference is similar to:

• bisexual and bisexuality;
• pansexual and pansexuality;
• heterosexual and heterosexuality.

Pansexual generally describes attraction toward people of any gender or regardless of gender.

A person might explain the difference this way:

• “I am omnisexual because I can be attracted to every gender, but gender affects how I experience attraction.”
• “I am pansexual because gender does not strongly influence whether I feel attraction.”

These distinctions are not universal. Some people use the terms interchangeably, while others consider the difference important.

Omnisexual more specifically communicates attraction toward all genders.

Bisexuality can also include attraction across the full gender spectrum. A person may prefer bisexual because of its history, familiarity, or community meaning. Another may prefer omnisexual because it expresses all-gender attraction more specifically.

Neither label is more inclusive or valid than the other.

Omnisexual generally includes potential attraction toward every gender.

For example:

• A polysexual person may be attracted to women and nonbinary people but not men.
• An omnisexual person does not exclude men, women, nonbinary people, or other genders from potential attraction.

The exact pattern of attraction remains individual.

It may include:

• bisexual;
• pansexual;
• omnisexual;
• polysexual;
• other related identities.

An omnisexual person may therefore be described broadly as multisexual, but not every multisexual person is omnisexual.

A person may:

• notice gender strongly;
• experience attraction differently across genders;
• have preferences for some genders;
• feel attraction more frequently toward certain genders;
• remain capable of attraction toward all genders.

Attraction does not need to be equal in intensity, frequency, or form.

An omnisexual person may be:

• omniromantic;
• biromantic;
• panromantic;
• homoromantic;
• heteroromantic;
• aromantic;
• another romantic orientation.

For example, someone may feel sexual attraction toward all genders while experiencing romantic attraction only toward some genders.

An omnisexual person remains omnisexual while:

• dating a woman;
• dating a man;
• dating a nonbinary person;
• married;
• single;
• celibate;
• in a monogamous relationship.

One relationship represents one connection, not the complete range of possible attraction.

This wording is misleading because transgender people are not a separate gender category. A transgender woman is a woman, and a transgender man is a man. Some transgender people are nonbinary or use another gender identity.

People of many orientations may be attracted to transgender individuals. Attraction to transgender people is not exclusive to omnisexual people.

• monogamy;
• consensual nonmonogamy;
• marriage;
• casual dating;
• long-term partnership;
• celibacy;
• single life.

Attraction toward all genders does not mean needing partners of different genders at the same time.

Sexual orientation concerns who someone may find attractive. Relationship structure concerns how they choose to organize relationships.

• attracted to everyone;
• unable to be monogamous;
• sexually available;
• unable to choose;
• likely to be unfaithful;
• attracted equally to every gender;
• confused about bisexuality or pansexuality;
• required to date people of several genders.

These stereotypes confuse orientation with personality, behavior, boundaries, and relationship choices.

• using the identity label a person chooses;
• not demanding proof through sexual history;
• avoiding assumptions based on a current partner;
• not treating all-gender attraction as sexual availability;
• respecting differences between omnisexual, bisexual, and pansexual identities;
• avoiding invasive questions about preferences;
• recognizing that attraction never implies consent.

A person does not need experience with people of every gender to identify as omnisexual.

Omnisexual and pansexual are always identical.
They overlap, but some people distinguish them according to whether gender influences attraction.

Omnisexual people are equally attracted to every gender.
Preferences, frequency, and intensity may vary.

Omnisexuality prevents monogamy.
Orientation does not determine relationship agreements or faithfulness.

A current partner changes someone’s orientation.
One relationship does not erase the broader pattern of attraction.

Omnisexual is more inclusive than bisexual.
Bisexuality can also include attraction across the gender spectrum. Neither label is superior.

• identify as omnisexual;
• omnisexual identity;
• omnisexual orientation;
• omnisexual attraction;
• openly omnisexual;
• omnisexual representation;
• omnisexual community;
• omnisexual and pansexual.

• Someone identifies as omnisexual because all genders may be included in their attraction.
• An omnisexual woman remains omnisexual while dating a man.
• A person notices gender but does not exclude any gender from attraction.
• An omnisexual person chooses a monogamous relationship.
• Someone identifies as omnisexual and aromantic.
• A character is represented as omnisexual without being stereotyped as promiscuous.
• A person uses bisexual publicly and omnisexual as a more specific personal label.
• Partners discuss attraction without making assumptions about commitment.

1. They identify as omnisexual.
2. An omnisexual person may experience attraction toward people of all genders.
3. Gender may remain meaningful in omnisexual attraction.
4. Her current partner does not erase her omnisexual identity.
5. Omnisexual and pansexual have overlapping meanings.
6. Attraction does not need to be equal across genders.
7. An omnisexual person may prefer monogamy.
8. The series includes thoughtful omnisexual representation.
9. No one must date every gender to prove their orientation.
10. Sexual attraction never creates automatic consent.

An omnisexual person may experience frequent, rare, strong, weak, or changing attraction. They may be sexually active or abstinent, partnered or single, monogamous or nonmonogamous. These differences do not make the orientation more or less valid.

Omnisexuality does not imply promiscuity, attraction to everyone, sexual availability, or consent to any activity. Healthy sexuality requires communication, respect for gender identity, bodily autonomy, personal boundaries, and freely given agreement.