What does pansexual mean? We'll get to that, but first you should know that one of the beautiful things about being a person right now is that there are no limits to the ways you can express your sexual preferences. While there's still a lot of work to do in terms of representation, people who identify with sexualities and genders beyond binaries are finding it easier than ever to find both partners and communities that support their needs. But inclusivity, though extremely awesome, can also be a bit overwhelming or confusing for some who haven't heard certain terms in the past and it can be a little hard determining exactly where you fit.
So let's look at a term that's gaining more and more traction nowadays: pansexual. We’ve seen more and more portrayals of the sexual identity in pop culture in recent years. Celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato have spoken about their pansexuality. The superhero Deadpool is pansexual in the Marvel comics, something Ryan Reynolds reportedly wants the character to show more in the next film. The Sandman on Netflix also features a variety of characters who are pansexual. So is Ali (voiced by Ali Wong) on Big Mouth, though it should be noted that her flippant explanation of what it means to be pansexual faced backlash from the LGBTQ+ community. Still, representation plants seeds.
So what does pansexual mean? It's actually pretty simple: Pansexuality is a sexual identity used to describe those who could be potentially attracted to all people, regardless of gender. (The word “potentially” is important here—a common misconception is that pansexual folks are hypersexual and attracted to every single person. Not true.) Some people who identify as pansexual put it in the most adorable terms possible and say they care about "hearts and not parts.”
The reason pansexuality is defined as a sexual identity, rather than a gender identity, says Becca Mui, MsEd, education manager at GLSEN, is because “it describes people’s feelings of emotional, physical, romantic, and sexual attraction to others, whereas gender identities refer to people’s personal conception of themselves, which may include ‘female,’ ‘androgynous,’ ‘transgender,’ “genderqueer,’ ‘nonbinary,’ ‘male’ and many others, or a combination thereof.” If you find gender isn’t something that dictates your desire for someone, you might be pansexual!
For some people, pansexual is a way to accept a sexual descriptor while leaving lots of room for interpretation. “Pansexual is the most inclusive type of sexuality and is not limited to attraction to men or women,” Alicia Sinclair, a sex coach and founder of sex toy company B-Vibe, tells Glamour. “They may find their sexual attraction is much broader than the traditional identifications and labels.”
It’s important to note again here that “men and women” are not the only gender labels that exist. People can be genderqueer, nonbinary, agender, pangender, or any other label they choose. Gender and sexuality are not the same thing, either. You can identify with any gender and be pansexual, bisexual (attracted to two genders), asexual (someone who doesn't experience sexual attraction regardless of gender), heterosexual (attraction to the opposite gender), homosexual (attraction to the same gender), demisexual (attraction to an emotional bond), or any other sexuality that best fits you.
