Pansexual

Disclaimer: People can experience identities in different ways. As such, people can identify with a label without exactly matching the definition because identities are fluid.

Pansexual (often shortened to "pan") is a term used by people who experience sexual attraction to multiple genders, all genders, and/or people regardless of gender ("gender-blind"). Pansexual people may or may not experience other sexual or romantic attractions, such as being on the asexual or aromantic spectrums, and can be any gender.

Some pansexual people have preferences for particular genders (which may change over time), some feel more strongly attracted to specific genders, some feel equal attraction, and some experience attraction that is not linked to gender.

Some pansexual people also identify as bisexual and/or use another label to describe their sexuality, while others only use pansexual. Often, the terms bisexual, omnisexual, polysexual, and pansexual are confused with one another. The distinctions between the terms are frequently debated, so each person may define them differently. Ultimately, a person who experiences attraction to multiple genders chooses which label(s) to use based upon their personal preference.

The following quote is from Anna (she/her), President of SPEAK at Lehigh University, who is pansexual:

“At this point in understanding myself, I feel most comfortable with the label of pansexual. To me, pansexuality means being attracted to people regardless of their gender. The interest is not so much about what gender a certain person is, but more about who they are as a person and how we connect with one another. This identity feels flexible because it decenters gender as the primary reason for attraction, and makes the focus a person's characteristics simply as a human being.”

The pansexual pride flag was created by Tumblr user Jasper V., and was originally posted to an anonymous account around 2010.

Each color of the pansexual flag has its own meaning:

• Pink: attraction to women
• Yellow: attraction to nonbinary people
• Blue: attraction to men

Another interpretation is that the colors of the pansexual flag represent the genders of pansexual people.

• The Bisexual Resource Center offers resources, support, and community for bisexual+ people, which includes pansexual people.
• The Trevor Project's Pansexuality: What It is, What It Isn't" explains the broad range of definitions that people use to describe pansexuality and provides the author's personal experience of being pansexual.
• Them's "What Does It Mean to Be Pansexual?" answers common questions about pansexualty and mentions famous pansexual people.
• In "Bisexuality vs. Pansexuality vs. Omnisexuality vs. Polysexuality - What does it all mean??", rapidpeach on YouTube describes the differences between these commonly confused terms.

Sources:

• LGBTQIA+ Fandom Wiki's "Pansexual" page
• Wikipedia's "Pansexual flag" page

Images:

• "Pansexuality pride flag" by Tumblr blog PansexualFlag, SVG by KiwiNeko14, public domain