What is pansexuality? People who identify as pansexual are attracted to people of all genders

In college, I had a friend who I found incredibly unique and inspiring. Not only was Margaret relaxed in the most stressful of circumstances, but she was kind, accepting, and loving—all of which rubbed off on those around her. She kept her cool during exam week, calming everybody else’s nerves; she always had an honest smile on her face; and she accepted everyone with open arms. She was the sincerest human being I’d ever met—she was truly one-of-a-kind.

As it turns out, these qualities carried over into Margaret’s love life. Her ability to accept and love all people is almost the precise definition of her sexual orientation: pansexual. This means that Margaret is sexually, emotionally, and spiritually open to love with all genders, whether they be male, female, transgender, intersex, or identify as agender. In sum, pansexuals are capable of being attracted to and having a relationship with any given individual, regardless of their sex or gender identity. They are more concerned with what’s on the inside than what’s on the outside.

What’s the Difference Between Pansexuality and Bisexuality?

I first assumed that Margaret was bisexual: she dated both men and women and didn’t appear to prefer one over the other. But when this topic of conversation came up, she explained that she was not bisexual—instead, she identified as pansexual. And while there are overlapping qualities between the two orientations, there are key differences between pansexuality and bisexuality:

• While both orientations are attracted to and interested in males and females, pansexuals are also open to individuals who identify as androgynous, transsexual, intersex, third-gender, and others.
• The pansexual identification stresses one’s ability to be attracted to a wide range of individuals, regardless of their sexual identity. Bisexuality, on the other hand, does not place this same emphasis on an openness to all identities; it instead more simply indicates an attraction to both men and women.

5 Celebrities Who Identify as Pansexual

While I had no issue understanding Margaret’s lifestyle and identity, others have a difficult time making sense of pansexuality. This, however, is improving as multiple celebrities from actors to musicians to YouTube personalities have spoken out on the topic and openly discussed their own pansexuality. Here are a few of those well-known stars who addressed the topic:

1. Miley Cyrus: Miley Cyrus is not only known for her unique style and vibrant performances, but her open-mindedness—which is why it should come as no surprise that she identifies as pansexual. “I’m very open about it—I’m pansexual,” she told Elle UK back in 2015.

2. Angel Haze: Angel Haze is a rapper and singer who also identifies as pansexual. “To kind of identify as pansexual, to me, means to just want love. To have a connection with anyone you can find it with,” she said during an interview with Fusion TV. “I care about connecting with people on a deeper level and actually having something to talk about and something to work for.

3. Jazz Jennings: Jazz Jennings stepped into the spotlight as the star of I Am Jazz, a show on TLC about her journey as a young transgender. Jazz told Cosmo, “being pansexual basically means you are attracted to anyone, no matter their sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, everything.” She went on to say, “there’s no limits, I’ll date anyone. It’s more that I love someone for their soul.”

4. Sia: Sia doesn’t like to put a title on her sexuality, but openly accepts all people as possible partners. “I don’t love just men. I love people,” she told Seventeen. “It’s not about a gender. It’s about the spirit that exudes from that other person you’re with.”

5. Laci Green: Laci Green is a well-known YouTuber and MTV personality, who hosted MTV’s Braless. In one of these episodes, she takes the opportunity to address her pansexuality. “Gender identity, gender expression… it’s not really a factor in my experience of attraction to people,” she said.

 

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