As conversations around gender and sexual orientation become more visible, you may come across terms you're unfamiliar with. One of these is pansexuality.

But what does it mean to be pansexual? How is pansexuality different from other sexual orientations, and what are some common misconceptions about it?

In this guide, we'll explore what pansexuality means, look at some related terminology, and address a few common myths.

What does it mean to be pansexual?

Pansexuality is a sexual orientation describing someone who can experience emotional, romantic and/or sexual attraction to people of any gender. For some pansexual people, gender isn't a determining factor in their attraction.

Being pansexual doesn't mean being attracted to everyone. Like anyone else, pansexual people have their own preferences, boundaries and experiences when it comes to attraction.

The term "pansexual" has a longer history than its more recent visibility might suggest. The word has roots in the early 20th century, while its use as a modern sexual-orientation identity developed over time, particularly from the 1970s onwards.

It's also important to distinguish between sexual orientation and gender identity. Sexual orientation relates to who someone may experience attraction towards, while gender identity relates to a person's internal understanding of their own gender.

What are some misconceptions about pansexuality?

Like many sexual orientations, pansexuality is sometimes misunderstood. Here are a few common misconceptions.

"Pansexual people are attracted to everyone."

Being attracted to people of any gender doesn't mean being attracted to every individual. Attraction is personal, and pansexual people can have preferences just like anyone else.

"Pansexual people are more likely to be promiscuous."

A person's sexual orientation doesn't determine their relationship choices or sexual behaviour. Pansexual people can have committed, long-term and monogamous relationships, as well as other types of relationships.

"Pansexuality is just a trend."

Although the term has become more widely recognised in recent years, its history goes back much further. Language surrounding identity can change and evolve over time, and greater visibility doesn't mean that an identity itself is new.

How is pansexuality different from other sexual orientations?

Pansexuality is sometimes discussed alongside bisexuality, omnisexuality and polysexuality, as these identities can all involve attraction to multiple genders. However, there can be differences in how people understand and use these labels.

Bisexuality is generally understood as the potential for attraction to more than one gender. It doesn't necessarily mean attraction exclusively to men and women, and bisexuality can include attraction to non-binary people.

Omnisexuality is often used to describe attraction to people of all genders, while recognising that gender may still play a role in someone's attraction.

Polysexuality generally describes attraction to multiple genders, but not necessarily all genders.

There can be overlap between these identities, and people may use different labels to describe similar or different experiences. There isn't one "correct" label, and people can choose the term that best reflects how they understand their own identity.

Pansexual visibility and representation

Pansexuality has become more visible in recent years, partly through people openly discussing their identities and experiences.

Several public figures have identified as pansexual, including Cara Delevingne, Demi Lovato and Kehlani. Their openness can help increase awareness of the term and show that there isn't one single way to experience pansexuality.

However, everyone's experience is different. No celebrity or public figure can represent the entire pansexual community, and someone's public identity doesn't necessarily reflect the experiences of other pansexual people.

Understanding pansexuality

Pansexuality is one of many ways people describe their experience of attraction. For some people, gender isn't a determining factor in who they can be attracted to, while others may understand and use the term differently.

Ultimately, the best way to understand someone's sexuality is to listen to how they describe their own identity rather than making assumptions based on a label.

If you'd like to show your support for the LGBTQ+ community, take a look at our range of pansexual jewellery.

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