Pansexual Visibility Day Highlights an Often Misunderstood Identity

“Discovering my pansexuality meant discovering my self worth. I had spent so much time vacillating between a few identities that didn’t quite seem to fit me, and the energy that took began to take its toll on my mental health. When I discovered the meaning of pansexuality, I knew I had found that thing I was missing.”

— Tucker Hull | Member Services Coordinator | Pronouns: he/him/his | From Human Rights Campaign

Pansexuality is one of the lesser known terms in the LGBTQ+ alphabet. And even when people think they know what pansexuality means, they are often mistaken.

For starters, pansexuality and bisexuality are not the same thing. As the prefix “bi” indicates, people who are bisexual are attracted to two genders, or by modern definitions, two or more genders. People who are pansexual are attracted to all genders. These genders may include men, women, nonbinary individuals, trans individuals, folks who are gender fluid, and so on. 

However, this does not mean pansexual people are attracted to all people – another common misconception. Just as gay men aren’t attracted to all men, pansexual people are not attracted to all people. Rather, they are attracted to certain people regardless of their gender identity.