Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 19, 2026

Omnisexuality

Omnisexuality is a sexual orientation where someone is attracted to all genders with gender having a factor in attraction. Although some may use it as a synonym for pansexuality, others see the two identities as distinct from one another.

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Jul 19, 2026
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Wikipedia ↗
Omnisexuality
ClassificationSexual identity
Parent categoryPlurisexuality
Other terms
Associated terms
Flag
A flag with 5 evenly-spaced stripes. From top to bottom, they are pink, magenta, navy blue, purple-ish blue, and lighter purple-ish blue.
Omnisexual flag source ↗
Flag nameOmnisexual flag
CreationJuly 4, 2015
DesignerPastelmemer
MeaningThe shades of pink, blue, and the purple stripe symbolizes attraction to femininity and women, masculinity and men, all other genders, respectively.

Omnisexuality is a sexual orientation where someone is attracted to all genders with gender having a factor in attraction. Although some may use it as a synonym for pansexuality, others see the two identities as distinct from one another.123

Flag

The omnisexual pride flag was designed by Pastelmemer on July 4, 2015. The flag consists of five horizontal stripe. The colors represent the wide spectrum of sexual attraction, with the pink and blue shades symbolizing attraction to femininity and women, and masculinity and men, respectively. The dark purple stripe in the middle represents attraction to all other genders that are outside of the gender binary.45

Etymology and definition

The term "omnisexual" is derived from the Latin prefix omni-, meaning "all" or "universally", and sexuality.15 Omnisexuality is romantic or sexual attraction to toward people of any sexual orientation or gender identity.1 Although omnisexuality and pansexuality are synonyms with the same definition, some people use only one or both to describe their sexuality.6 When a distinction is made, pansexuality emphasizes gender blindness, while omnisexuality emphasizes gender awareness, and may signal either that the person is actively attracted to all genders or that the person has greater attraction to some genders.758 Quartz described omnisexuals as "actively attracted to all genders" rather being than "oblivious" to gender.9 Pippa Lacey of Affinity Magazine said that while "most people" define both terms as meaning "attraction to all genders," that understanding is incorrect, and that pansexuality means "attraction to people regardless of gender," while omnisexual means "attraction to anyone despite their gender."10

Queerty also differed between polysexuality and omnisexuality, saying those who identity with the former are "attracted to multiple genders" while those who identify with the latter "experience attraction towards all genders," asserting that polysexuality is an "umbrella term that covers omnisexuality."11

To deal with issues related to transphobia and the gender binary, some individuals have taken on terms such as pansexual, omnisexual, or polysexual in place of the term bisexual, with the American Institute of Bisexuality asserting, in 2014, that these terms "describe a person with homosexual and heterosexual attractions, and therefore people with these labels are also bisexual".12 In 2017, during Bisexual Awareness Week, GLAAD stated that some who are "attracted to people of any gender" identify with words such as omnisexual, and falls under the bisexual+ umbrella.13 The Bi Women Quarterly uses the same term "bisexual+" for their publication, saying they feature "the voices of women with bi+ sexualities (i.e., bi, pan, fluid, and other non-binary sexualities)."14

Some characters have appeared in fiction which have identified as omnisexual. Roger, one of the protagonists in American Dad!, is shown to have interest in both men and women and most commonly refers to his sexuality as omnisexual, as GLAAD stated in their report on TV series from 2010 to 2011.15 Elim Garak, a character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, was described by his voice actor, Andrew J. Robinson, as omnisexual while others interpreted the character as gay or bisexual. Due to the scrutiny from viewers and writers not wanting to explore that aspect of the character, he removed this trait from the character in later portrayals.161718

Charb's comic strip, Maurice et Patapon featured Maurice, a dog described by the newspaper Libération as leftist, pacifist, outgoing, and omnisexual, and a cat, Patapon, who is conservative, violent, asexual, and perverse.19 In the series Hannibal, Hannibal Lecter is omnisexual, according to series creator Bryan Fuller,20 and is in love with Will Graham.

The Harkness Test, which is set of informal criteria originating in Internet fan communities to determine whether it would be ethically permissible to engage in sexual intercourse with a fictional non-human character, is named after Captain Jack Harkness, a fictional character from the television series Doctor Who and the spin-off Torchwood, who is canonically omnisexual. With some saying that labels "pansexual" and "omnisexual" are applied to the character,21 and writer Steven Moffat suggests that questions of sexual orientation do not even enter into Jack's mind,22 John Barrowman, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune, asserted that Harkness was bisexual, but in the show's world he is called omnisexual because characters "also have sex with aliens who take human form, and sex with male-male, women-women, all sorts of combinations."23 The term is also used once, in-universe, in the novel The House that Jack Built, when Ianto comments to a woman's remark about Jack, "He prefers the term 'omnisexual'."24

Some entertainers have identified as omnisexual. For instance, Kesha called herself omnisexual rather than pansexual,3 musician Nesey Gallons describes herself as asexual and omnisexual,25 and Little Richard once told Charles White, in 1984, he was omnisexual.26 Singer Sophie B. Hawkins stated, in an interview with Howard Stern, that she identified as omnisexual, and denied rumors she had dated Martina Navratilova and Jodie Foster, saying, "I've never met any of the women I'm supposed to have had affairs with."27 James Rado, the romantic partner of Gerome Ragni, an American actor, singer, and songwriter, best known as one of the stars and co-writers of the 1967 musical Hair,28 told The Advocate in a 2008 interview that he was omnisexual.29 In 2006, American actress, producer, director, and aerialist Dreya Weber told AfterEllen that she was omnisexual.30

References

References

  1. "Let's Talk About What It Means to Be Omnisexual". Cosmopolitan. May 17, 2021. Archived from the original on April 22, 2026. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  2. Baird, Stephanie; Stock, Wendy; Hertlein, Katherine (October 14, 2025). Sexual Health: Foundations, Treatments, and Resources. Springer Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-8261-0041-2.
  3. Wratten, Marcus (August 19, 2025). "Kesha is omnisexual - here's how it differs to being pansexual". PinkNews. Archived from the original on May 25, 2026. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  4. "Omnisexual Visibility Day". Canadian Pride Historical Society. 6 July 2024. Archived from the original on May 28, 2026. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  5. "Omnisexual vs Pansexual: What Is The Difference?". Gayety. January 30, 2022. Archived from the original on March 8, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  6. "Merriam-Webster's Short List of Gender and Identity Terms". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on May 25, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  7. "What Is Omnisexual?". WebMD. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  8. "There's A Key Difference Between Identifying As Omnisexual And Pansexual". Women's Health. March 23, 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  9. "Omnisexual, gynosexual, demisexual: What's behind the surge in sexual identities?". Quartz. March 22, 2018. Archived from the original on March 22, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  10. Lacey, Pippa (July 11, 2017). "What Is the Difference Between Pansexuality And Omnisexuality?". Affinity Magazine. Archived from the original on May 25, 2026. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
  11. "What Is polysexual? Unpacking the term". Queerty. July 1, 2022. Archived from the original on June 1, 2026. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
  12. "What is the difference between bisexual and terms like pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual, ambisexual, and fluid?". American Institute of Bisexuality. 2014. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  13. "#BiWeek 2017: Celebrate Bisexuality+". GLAAD. September 11, 2017. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  14. "Submission Guidelines". Bi Women Quarterly. Archived from the original on January 16, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  15. "Where We Are on TV Report: 2010-2011" (PDF). GLAAD. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  16. "The Shuttle Pod Show: Interview with Andrew Robinson". The Shuttlepod Show. December 5, 2022. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  17. "Tailor Made: Liz Sourbut talks to Andrew Robinson". Amazon UK. Archived from the original on May 19, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2026. I started out playing Garak as someone who doesn't have a defined sexuality. He's not gay, he's not straight, it's a non-issue for him. Basically his sexuality is inclusive. But--it's Star Trek and there were a couple of things working against that.
  18. Le Vaillant, Luc (May 20, 2009). "Charb. Charlie en jeune" [Charb: Charlie as a Young Man]. Libération. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2026. The dog is expansive: he is obsessed, omnisexual, leftist, pacifist, extroverted, oafish, and honest.
  19. Radish, Christina (December 11, 2015). "Bryan Fuller on 'Hannibal', Still Wanting to Do 'Silence of the Lambs', and That Final Scene". Collider. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  20. "Interviews with John Barrowman, Emma Thompson and Gwen Stefani". Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. Season 11. Episode 10. 10 November 2006. BBC.
  21. Russell T Davies, David Tennant, Billie Piper, Steven Moffat (1 July 2006). Doctor Who Confidential, "Welcome to Torchwood".
  22. Ryan, Maureen (14 July 2007). "Spike from 'Buffy' and 'Torchwood's Captain Jack Harkness – Yowza!". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 23 January 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  23. Adams, Guy (2008). The House that Jack Built. BBC Books. ISBN 978-1-84607-739-5.
  24. Gallons, Nesey (11 October 2020). "I shared this post regarding sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows to instagram earlier and folks seemed to appreciate it". Facebook. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  25. Chalmers, Robert (March 29, 2012). "GQ Legend: Little Richard". GQ Magazine. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2026. He says, 'What kind of sexual am I? I am omnisexual!'
  26. Sutcliffe, Phil (January 1995). "Sophie B Hawkins interview." Q Magazine, issue 100.
  27. Hetrick, Adam. "Schwartz, MacDermot, Rado and Ragni Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame June 18". Playbill. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  28. Lambert, Sheela (August 13, 2008), "The Man Behind the Hair", The Advocate, Los Angeles, archived from the original on March 4, 2016, retrieved May 28, 2026.
  29. Ober, Lauren (August 9, 2006). "Flying High with Dreya Weber". AfterEllen. Archived from the original on October 19, 2006. Retrieved July 23, 2008. Playing gay is nothing new to Weber, who describes herself as "omnisexual."