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Pansexual

pansexual
Pansexual
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pansexual

What is pansexuality?

Pansexuality is a term that describes sexual/romantic/emotional attraction towards individuals regardless of their gender. In other words, they do not feel any difference between gender identities. In fact, some people call pansexual individuals “gender blind”.

It can be stated that pansexuals (sometimes shortened to pan) may feel sexual attraction to people of all genders. Note that being pansexual does not mean being attracted to all people without exception. Like individuals of other sexual orientations, pansexuals may be attracted to some people and not feel attraction towards others at all. But the gender of a person a pansexual feels attracted to is always irrelevant.

The term pansexuality originates from the Greek prefix pan-, meaning “all” + sexuality.

Omnisexuality also comes from a word that means “all” (with the only difference being that it derives from Latin). That is why some people have a hard seeing the differences between pansexuality and omnisexuality; they tend to use these terms interchangeably. However, the two words are not exactly the same - omnisexual people, just like pansexuals, can be attracted to individuals of any gender identity, but that identity is still a factor in their attraction. Some people perceive themselves as both pansexuals and omnisexual.

According to some, pansexuality is also very similar to bisexuality. Again, these two terms might be similar but they are not quite the same because pansexuality is much broader than bisexuality, although some people who self-identify as pansexual sometimes say they are bisexual. The reason for it is pretty simple - the term “bisexual” is more widespread and recognized, so some people do that to avoid unnecessary explanations.

Pansexual pride flag

There are several pansexual flags. The first and the most popular one was designed to increase community visibility by Jasper V. and published on an anonymous Tumblr account in the early 2010s:

pansexual pride flag

The flag has three horizontal stripes of equal width. From top to bottom, their colors are the following: magenta, yellow, cyan. Magenta symbolizes the attraction towards women, yellow, the attraction to non-binary people (for example, genderfluid, agender, bigender, etc.), and cyan stands for the attraction towards men.

Interesting facts

American singer, rapper, and actress Janelle Monáe Robinson has always expressed her support for the LGBTQIA+ community. She came out as pansexual bisexual, and non-binary in the 2010s. American singer and songwriter, best known for his solo project Panic! at the Disco Brendon Urie came out as pansexual in 2013.

Myths about pansexuality debunked

Myth #1: Pansexuals are promiscuous.

While it is true that pansexuals are sexually attracted to others regardless of their gender, it does not imply that pansexual individuals act on their attraction more often than individuals of other sexual orientations. The amount of sexual activity someone desires does not depend on their sexual orientation. Some pansexuals may even choose celibacy.

 

Myth #2: Married pansexual people are less likely to be monogamous when they marry someone.

The likelihood of pansexual individuals choosing monogamy and being loyal to their partner when they get married is as high as homosexual or straight people’s. Being attracted to people of any gender identity has absolutely nothing to do with the desire to have multiple partners.

Why coming out is important

Coming out is a process of disclosing your sexual orientation to other people. The first step of this process is coming out to yourself. Once you have made sure that you identify as pansexual, you can start telling others.

The biggest benefit of coming out as pansexual is that you finally start living honestly and authentically, without having to hide your true identity. Besides, a recent study has shown the levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in pansexual people who have come out were way lower than those in those who have decided to remain in the closet. Essentially, it turns out that pansexuals who have chosen to come out are less stressed and more relaxed than closeted people.

In any case, always remember that coming out is your personal choice, and you should do it only if and when you feel safe and are seriously willing to do it. Never feel pressured into it if some people try to force you to do it.

If you have been considering coming out as pansexual but are not really sure how to go about it, here are some tips for you:

  • Choose carefully who you want to come out first - it may be a sibling, a trusted coworker, or your best friend;
  • Some people in your life will probably respond to your news based on a lifetime of information from an LGBTQIA+ unfriendly society - be prepared for it and try not taking it personally;
  • You can come out as pansexual in person, via phone call, text, email, or a social media post - the choice is only yours;
  • Develop a strong support network of people you know accept you and always will; it does not matter if these people are LGBTQIA+ or not, but if they are non-binary, homosexuals, or pansexuals like you, they may support you better than your straight friends because they know what challenges you have to face.

Helping your friends and family understand pansexuality

Every time you come out to someone new, be ready to answer some questions. Some of these questions will sound weird, ignorant, or even hostile. Answer the relevant ones with dignity but feel free to toss away those you think you do not have to answer. It is also not your task to convince biased people that there is nothing wrong with being pansexual.

The simplest way to explain the meaning of the term pansexuality is by saying that it is when an individual experiences attraction towards people regardless of their gender. Some pansexual people use the slogan “Hearts, not parts” to better explain their sexual identity.

As you come out to different people in your life, you might notice that you have to repeat the information about your sexual orientation again and again, which is tiring and somewhat annoying. It can be helpful to prepare a list of resources (YouTube channels, blogs, websites) when talking to individuals who are not familiar with LGBTQIA+ terminology. This will make the whole process easier for you.

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