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Pansexual Awareness Day: What does it mean and how is it different from being bisexual?

 (Getty Images for TAG Heuer)
(Getty Images for TAG Heuer)

Cara Delevingne has previously said that she identifies as pansexual.

Speaking to Variety magazine, the actor and model explained that she has previously avoided using labels to describe herself but that now, she feels comfortable with the term.

“I always will remain, I think, pansexual,” she said. “However one defines themselves, whether it’s ‘they’ or ‘he’ or ‘she,’ I fall in love with the person — and that’s that. I’m attracted to the person.”​

Every year, 24 May marks Pansexual Awareness Day internationally.

So what exactly is pansexuality? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is pansexuality?

In Greek, “pan” translates to “all” and therefore, the term “pansexual” can be understood as a sexual identity used to describe being attracted to people of all genders, beyond male-female parameters.

This can include those who identify as transgender, non-binary, intersex and more.

When did the term become more widely used?

The term pansexual has been around for quite some time.

However, Google trends shows that the search term peaked in August 2015 after Miley Cyrus came out as pansexual in an interview with Elle UK.

How does it differ from bisexuality?

The terminology: bi meaning “two” and pan meaning “all”, suggests a clear difference between people who are attracted to two genders and those who are attracted to people of all gender identities.

In actual fact, bisexuality is applied to mean different things by different people. To some, bisexuality means to be sexually attracted to both men and women. But others see bisexuality as simply a way of describing those who are not exclusively sexually attracted to one specific gender, seeing it used interchangeably with the term pansexual.

“Both identities are valid,” explains The F-Word editor, Joanna Whitehead, “although more people tend to be familiar with the concept of bisexuality.”

“Identity is important,” Whitehead says, adding that it’s crucial that those identifying as bisexual work to eradicate the stigma attached to it, something the journalist spoke about on an episode of The Independent‘s lifestyle podcast, Millennial Love.

Which celebrities identify as pansexual?

In addition to Cara Delevingne, Bella Thorne, Miley Cyrus and Janelle Monáe, other celebrities who have described themselves as “pansexual” include singer Angel Haze, Christine and the Queens’ Héloïse Letissier and Kristen Stewart, who told Nylon that she does not conform to binary labels when it comes to defining sexuality.

“I think in three or four years, there are going to be a whole lot more people who don’t think it’s necessary to figure out if you’re gay or straight,” the actor said. “It’s like, just do your thing.”

“It’s great to see celebrities being open about their pansexual identities,” said Laurence Webb of the LGBT foundation.

“We know that LGBT visibility has an effect on confidence and wellbeing in LGBT communities, and LGBT people of colour are especially underrepresented in mainstream culture,” he told The Independent.

“It sends a message to everyone that says we can be proud of who we are.”

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