What is omnisexuality?
Omnisexuality is sometimes compared to pansexuality, and according to some people, the two terms are interchangeable. Both words describe a sexual attraction to people of all genders. However, these two terms differ from one another. The key difference is that for omnisexuals, gender itself is an important factor when it comes to their attraction towards someone. Most pansexuals see all genders as equal instead. Some of them describe themselves as "genderblind". In other words, any difference between genders is irrelevant to pansexual individuals, and it does not condition their attraction towards people. Some omnisexuals may also identify as pansexuals at the same time.
A number of omnisexuals are attracted to entirely different traits in people of different genders or find certain features more attractive in individuals of some genders rather than others. Some individuals also compare omnisexuality to bisexuality since some (but not all) bisexuals are also attracted to people of all genders.
Omnisexual pride flag
There are several omnisexual flag designs. The first and the most popular one was created by the Tumblr and Deviantart user Pastelmemer in 2015:
It has five horizontal stripes of equal width. Their colors, from top to bottom, are as follows: light pink, pink, black, deep blue, blue. The meaning of the colors is unclear. However, there is a commonly accepted meaning that is the following: the light pink and the light blue stand for the gender spectrum; the pink symbolizes the attraction to women and femininity, while the blue, is the attraction to men and masculinity. The black color stands for the attraction to people whose gender does not fall into any of the above-mentioned categories.
This flag also has the version with three stripes:
An alternate omnisexual flag by Cryptocrew:
History and interesting facts
The first known use of the word omnisexuality can be traced back to 1959 when poet Lawrence Lipton mentioned it in his book The Holy Barbarians. The first usages of the terms omnisexual and omnisex were recorded in the late 1960s-1970s.
In 1984, the description of the term omnisexuality appeared in the text Sexual Choices: An Introduction to Human Sexuality, and it was already closer to the definition we know today. As written in the work, omnisexuality is a state of attraction to all sexes and according to “some researchers”, every person is born omnisexual before they figure out they are heterosexual, homosexual, etc.
M. Jimmie Killingsworth wrote about the term omnisexual in his analysis of Walt Whitman poems in 1991. In the study, the researcher mentioned a “general (omni) sexual character of the Leaves of Grass”.
At the turn of the new millennium, the word omnisexual was already widespread on the internet. Fun fact: the fictional character Jack Harkness from the British sci-fi TV show Dr.Who is omnisexual. So are the characters Deadpool from the Marvel comics movie, Kevin Crawford from Paradise P.D., and Elim Garak from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
The term omnisexual was also mentioned in the song The Spectrum of Sexuality that was sung in one of the episodes of the animated sitcom Big Mouth.
Importance of coming out
Coming out is a process that can be liberating, but at the same time, pretty confusing, daunting, and scary. If you still have doubts about whether you are omnisexual or not, it can be challenging to come out to people in your life. That is why it is crucial to figure out and accept your sexual orientation first. Once you have made sure you are comfortable with your sexual identity, you can start coming out to others. Always remember that it is up to you if and when to come out, and if yes, how and where.
You should also know that according to multiple research, coming out of the closet can make people feel much happier, more confident about who they are, and more comfortable with their entire identity.
Obviously, if you think coming out might be unsafe and dangerous for you now, it is better to wait until the situation changes. But if you are lucky enough to live in a safe environment and you have been planning to come out as an omnisexual, here are some tips you might find useful on your journey:
- Come out to one trusted person first; for some people, surprisingly, coming out to strangers may work even better - casually mentioning that you are an omnisexual to someone you just met and will probably never meet again can help you become more comfortable with talking about your identity;
- Every time you come out to someone new, remember that your self-esteem, well-being, and happiness should not depend on their approval;
- Make friends in the LGBTQIA+ community - individuals who have already gone through the coming out process know what it is about and can give you all kinds of support and advice as you prepare to come out to your family, friends, loved ones, and coworkers;
- If you feel in crisis, talk to an omnisexual-affirming counselor or call an LGBTQIA+ hotline - it is okay to ask for help when you really need it.
Helping your family and friends understand omnisexuality
When coming out as omnisexual to different people, you should be prepared for any comments or questions they may throw at you, even ignorant ones. You need to be ready to debunk any myths and misconceptions about omnisexual individuals some people might believe, too. You will definitely feel more confident about your sexual identity if you have a prepared list of useful resources such as blogs, YouTube channels, books that can help anyone who could be interested in educating themselves more on this sexual orientation. Thanks to that list, you can also avoid explaining the same information multiple times to different people.
Remember that there will always be individuals who refuse to accept omnisexuals for various reasons - ignorance, fear of the unknown, hostility towards the LGBTQIA+ community. If such people are among your friends or family members, know that you cannot force people to accept you. What you can do is provide them with some helpful info and give them time to “digest” this information.