What Does It Mean To Be Pansexual?

Just like being gay, straight, or bi, the term pansexual refers to a sexual orientation. It’s used by people who can feel attracted to anyone, regardless of their gender or sex. For example, someone who is pansexual may be drawn to cisgender women and men, transgender women and men, and nonbinary folks, just to name a few.

While it’s impossible to know how many people are pansexual, one survey from the Human Rights Campaign found that 14% of young people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community identify as pansexual, and a Harris Poll survey of 2,000 U.S. adults found that about 2% of those 18 to 34 identify as pansexual. About 1% use this label in other older groups. The dwindling numbers as people age could be due to generational differences, the fact that not everyone knows what this word means, and other factors.

For pansexual people, it doesn’t matter what kind of superficial package their partner comes in. They’re open to loving anyone and often fall for someone’s heart or personality instead of a certain physical presentation. Many dating apps, including Hinge and Tinder, offer pansexuality as an option for a bio, making it easier than ever to connect with someone who feels the same way.

Keep scrolling below to learn more about what it means to be pansexual, according to experts.

What Does It Mean To Be Pansexual?

According to Saba Harouni Lurie, a licensed marriage and family therapist, pansexuality is defined as feeling sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction toward others regardless of gender identity. “The prefix ‘pan’ means ‘all’ so individuals who identify as pansexual may feel attracted to people across the gender spectrum, including those who identify as agender, nonbinary, and/or genderqueer.”

While it opens the door to having a crush on pretty much anyone, it doesn’t mean you literally like everyone. As with any orientation, preferences still apply. “Some misconceptions are that pansexuals are attracted to everyone or it’s another term for bisexuality — it’s not,” says Mell McCracken, an LGBTQ+ educator and executive director for No Matter What Recovery. “It also doesn’t mean someone is more promiscuous or confused about their sexuality.”

Pansexuality can also differ when it comes to romantic love versus sexual attraction. “I’ve seen this before where a person can be romantically pansexual but only sexually attracted to certain genders, or vice versa,” McCracken tells Bustle. “Attraction varies for each individual.” It’s also important to remember that you don’t need to define yourself with a label if you don’t want to.

The Difference Between Pansexual & Bisexual

It’s super common to mix up pansexuality and bisexuality. As GLADD puts it: "While being bisexual means being attracted to more than one gender, being pansexual means being attracted to all gender identities or attracted to people regardless of gender."

Again, “the difference is described in the words themselves where ‘bi’ means two and ‘pan’ means [all or] everyone,” says Sofie Roos, a licensed sexologist and relationship therapist. But it’s also more nuanced than that. While being bi actually suggests you can be attracted to two or more genders, pan means you’re drawn to people regardless of their gender, says McCracken.

It’s also important to note that many pansexual people feel drawn to others due to their personality, life experiences, and the personal connection they form, which is another factor that allows them to fall for all different types of people. “In other words, when being pan, the looks of someone isn’t that important,” they say.

Since everyone is different, some people may use the terms interchangeably. “For others, using bisexual instead of pansexual allows them to clarify that they are attracted to some gender identities but not necessarily all gender identities,” says Lurie.

Key Takeaways

According to McCracken, there are three things to remember when thinking about pansexuality.

• Pansexuality is valid and distinct from other identities.
• It’s important to respect self-identification. Pan people often face erasure.
• Attraction varies by person — there is no "one way" to be pansexual.

What Is The Pansexual Flag?

While everyone can recognize the pride flag thanks to its rainbow stripes, the pansexual pride flag is a little simpler — and a little lesser-known. It features three horizontal stripes with hot pink on top, bright yellow in the middle, and bold blue at the bottom.

According to McCracken, pink represents women, yellow points to non-binary or genderfluid people, and blue represents men. Created in 2010, its purpose is to distinguish members of the pansexual community.

Pansexual Celebrities

Many celebrities have shared that they are pansexual or queer with some aspects of pansexuality, including:

• Miley Cyrus
• Janelle Monáe
• Kesha
• Demi Lovato
• Tess Holliday
• Cara Delevingne
• Brendan Urie
• Mae Whitman
• Wayne Brady
• Kehlani
• Bella Thorne
• Rina Sawayama
• Jojo Siwa
• Courtney Act
• Sia

Keep Reading About Gender & Sexuality

• How Do I Know If I’m Bisexual Or Pansexual?
• Can I Explore My Bisexuality Without Ruining My Relationship?
• 7 Myths About Pansexuality That Just Aren’t True
• What A Pansexual Makeout Party Taught Me About Consent
• 14 Trans & Nonbinary Models Who Were All Over New York Fashion Week
• 10 Ways You Can Be More Trans Inclusive
• It Took Me 13 Years To Come Out. Here’s What I Learned Along The Way
• What Does Being A Top Mean When You’re A Lesbian?

Sources:

Saba Harouni Lurie, a licensed marriage and family therapist

Sofie Roos, licensed sexologist, relationship therapist

Mell McCracken, LGBTQ+ educator, executive director for No Matter What Recovery