“Pansexuality” is when someone experiences physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to a person regardless of their gender identity, per GLAAD. This is one of several terms under the bi+ umbrella.
While there are many overlaps between pansexuality and bisexuality, the official definitions differ in their approach to gender. The prefix pan- means “all,” while bisexuality is the attraction to multiple gender identities. According to Stonewall, there may be individuals who align with the way pansexuality is defined yet identify with the term bisexuality. Others may use pansexual and bisexual interchangeably.
Like bisexuality, pansexuality is often associated with negative connotations. Often, those who identify with being labeled as an experimentation phase or to be a stepping stone to being gay. However, according Stonewall, the term pansexual has been included in the Oxford English Dictionary since the early 1900s and has been used in its current definition since at least the late 1960s.
LGBTQ+ people have long been using a range of different terms to describe their identities. As we’ve progressed as far as social acceptance and social media, the terms are more widespread.
Take a look below at 11 celebrities who are pansexual:
