Pansexuality refers to the sexual connection or attraction to people regardless of their gender or sexual identity. Gender and sex are not driving forces in their attraction to others. Pansexuality is not another form of bisexuality, but rather a term encompassing attraction regardless of gender or sexual identity vs. attraction because of gender or sexual identity.
Framing & Perspectives
The pansexual flag is represented by 3 colors: pink, yellow and blue, symbolizing attraction to those who identify on the female, non-binary, and male spectrums. The term Pansexual comes from the Greek prefix “pan” meaning all. Sigmund Freud is thought to have coined the term pansexual in the early 1900’s but was recently reclaimed to include and recognize fluidity of gender and sexual identities (Peterson, 2013) while reidentifying the term in the context of sexual orientations (Eldridge, 2024). Many use the term to express attraction to the fluidity of a partner or emphasize the fluidity of themselves (Eldridge, 2024). People who identify as pansexual can feel attracted to anyone, including those who do not fit a specific gender (Kaandola & Kuehnle, 2023). The possibility for overlap with other identities exists, however, it does not define pansexual identity. There may be overlaps with bisexuality in that, for example, a bisexual may feel attraction to men and non-binary people, but not to women (Kaandola & Kuehnle 2023). Just as a lesbian woman is not attracted to all women, pansexual people are not attracted to everyone.
People who identify as pansexual may also use the prefix for romantic inclinations. For example, identifying as panromantic, referring to feeling romantically attracted to all people regardless of sex or gender. Additionally, people may be pansexual and identify with other romantic identities. For example, someone who is pansexual may also be aromantic.
Relevance
Explicitly rejecting the gender binary system, pansexual is a more inclusive term that is a valid sexual orientation. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with “omnisexual”, with the prefix omni coming from Latin to mean all. A key distinction is that attraction can be attributed to gender with omnisexual, whilst pansexuality refers to attraction regardless of assigned or perceived gender. However, it is important to note that identity definitions are part of an ever-evolving language that reflects our diversity as people (Trever News, 2023).
Keywords: Bodies, Gender, Sexuality
Connected terms: Acronym “LGBTQIAPN+”, Queer, Bisexual, Aromantic, Androsexual, Asexual, Gynosexual, Kink, Demisexual
References
Eldridge, A. (2024, September 25). Pansexuality | Definition, Meaning, & Facts | Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/topic/pansexuality
HRC Foundation. (2023, May 31). HRC | Glossary of Terms.https://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms
Kaandola, A., & Kuehnle, F. (2023, September 8). Pansexual vs. Bisexual: What is the difference?https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/bisexual-vs-pansexual#fa-qs
Peterson, E. (2013, November 12). Pansexual: A “New” Sexual Orientation? | Pansexuality | Live Science.https://www.livescience.com/41163-pansexual-sexual-orientation-pansexuality.html
Rice, K. (2015). Pansexuality. The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality, 861–1042.https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118896877.WBIEHS328
Struthi, M. (n.d.). Pansexual vs. Omnisexual: Are They Different? Retrieved October 23, 2024, fromhttps://www.medicinenet.com/pansexual_vs_omnisexual_are_they_different/article.htm
Trevor News. (2023, May 23). Pansexuality: What It is, What It Isn’t | The Trevor Project.https://www.thetrevorproject.org/blog/pansexuality-what-it-is-what-it-isnt/
Zimmer, B., Wright, K. E., Hughes, B., Zhang, L., McLean, J., & Carson, C. E. (2023). Among the New Words.American Speech: A Quarterly of Linguistic Usage, 98(1), 104-119.
