The state of being romantically, emotionally, and/or sexually attracted to people of any gender is referred to as pansexuality. Persons who identify as pansexual may, just like everyone else, find themselves attracted to certain people but not others, but it does not matter to them what gender the other person is.
Pansexuality is a self-identification that is both possible and common for people of all gender identities. There are substantial differences in the identities of bisexuals and pansexuals, despite the fact that some people use the terms “bisexual” and “pansexual” interchangeably.
What Is pansexuality?
The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer advocacy group GLAAD provides a broad definition of pansexuality as “being attracted to all gender identities or being attracted to people regardless of gender.”
A description of what it means to be pansexual can be found on the website of the organisation. It goes as follows: “Being pansexual basically implies to me that you are attracted to everyone, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or anything else.”
There are no restrictions. I’ll date anyone. It’s more that I love someone for who they are within, especially their soul.’
In a previous interview with Cosmopolitan, transgender activist and star of the American reality show I Am Jazz Jazz Jennings described what it’s like to live as a pansexual by saying, “Physically,
I think I’m more attracted to boys but sometimes I’m attracted to girls too, so it’s weird.” Jennings is best known for her role as the show’s star.
Alexa, who is 25 years old, told Teen Vogue that she came to terms with her pansexuality after she graduated from college and fell in love with another woman: I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I’m gender-blind; I base my decisions on energy. If I dig your energy, I dig you.’
Read More: Diana Ross Had No Idea ‘I’m Coming Out’ Was A Gay Thing, According To Nile Rodgers.
Is Pansexuality A ‘New Trend’?
“Hell no” is the straightforward response to this question.
The concept of pansexuality has been around since the early part of the 20th century, despite the fact that it has only just come to the forefront of popular culture in recent years.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term “pansexual” was first published in 1914 in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology under the form of the word “pan-sexualism.”
Sigmund Freud’s idea that ‘the pan-sexualism of mental life which makes every trend regress inevitably to the sexual’ was deconstructed by a physician by the name of J. Victor Haberman. This doctor’s work is known as the “Haberman Unpacking.”
In contrast to the contemporary definition of what it means to be sexually oriented, Freud held the fundamental belief that sex is the driving force behind everything.
Unfortunately, pansexuality was not previously well recognised. There are tales from the 1920s and 1930s of persons in Harlem and Chicago’s South Side who loved across “labels and limits.”
These individuals were thought to suffer from a mental condition at the time. It wasn’t until the pioneering American sex researcher Alfred Kinsey (the man who invented the Kinsey scale)
established that sexuality operated on a continuum that labels to characterise sexual orientation began to be introduced. Kinsey is credited with being the originator of the scale.
The term “pansexual” did not begin to be used in what would be considered an accurate representation of its meaning until the 1970s.
Also Read: Henry Anderson: Is He Gay?
Which Celebrities Identify As Being Pansexual?
Demi Lovato has revealed some information regarding their sexual orientation, stating unequivocally that they identify as pansexual.
They disclosed the information during an episode of Joe Rogan’s Experience podcast in March of 2021, in which they were describing their desire to adopt children at some point in the future.
Lovato explained her reluctance to conceive by saying, “I also don’t know whether I’m going to end up with a guy, so I can’t really see myself being pregnant.” “I really have no idea. I used to be a lot more closed off than I am now, and I think that’s contributed to some of the fluidity that I’ve gained in my life.
Following that, the presenter inquired, “You mean like sexual fluid?” You like girls, you like boys? What do they name someone who identifies like that, pansexual or anything similar?’
Lovato responded, “Yeah, pansexual,” and later stated, “I heard someone call the LGBTQIA+ community the rainbow community.” “alphabet mafia,” and at that point I thought to myself, “That’s it. That is the approach I will take “. I am a member of the alphabet mafia, and I am not ashamed.’
In an interview that she gave to ELLE UK in 2015 for the magazine’s cover, Miley Cyrus revealed for the first time that she is pansexual. She remarked at the time, “I’m pretty upfront about it — I’m pansexual.”
Later on in that year, the singer gave an interview to the publication Paper, in which she described her sexual orientation and said, “I am literally open to every single thing that is consenting and doesn’t involve an animal and everyone is of age.”
I don’t relate to being a male or a girl, and I don’t need my partner to relate to being a boy or a girl either.
Some fictional characters in movies, such as Lando Calrissian (played by Donald Glover in Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool), have been identified as pansexual.
In July 2019, actress Bella Thorne and model Tess Holliday both make public announcements that they are pansexual. Bella does so to ABC news, and Tess does so in an interview with NYLON magazine.
During Pride Month in June 2020, Cara Delevingne gave an interview to Variety magazine in which she discussed the fact that she identifies as pansexual.
In an interview with the journal, she stated, “I always will stay, I think, pansexual.” I fall in love with the person, regardless of how they describe themselves, whether it’s “they” or “he” or “she,” and that’s all there is to it. I find myself drawn to the individual.
