While visibility alone won’t fix every problem, it can significantly aid people in understanding their feelings and seeing. The mental health of LGBTQ people who might feel alone can benefit from visibility and representation, which also helps them discover community.
Like all other facets of our identities, sexual orientation is extremely personal and differs from person to person. Being pansexual, to us, entails having an attraction to people regardless of their gender.
In the vibrant range of human variability, pansexuality is only one more hue that coexists peacefully with all the other hues. However, pansexuality has long been misunderstood, much like many other terms.
We’re going to examine and dispel some of the myths regarding this lovely subset of the LGBTQ community today.
1. Pansexuality is only a passing trend
In actuality, the term “pansexual” is not brand-new. The word has been used in its current definition since at least the late 1960s and has been a part of the Oxford English Dictionary since at least the early 1900s. Although LGBTQ individuals have traditionally used a variety of labels to express their identities, social acceptance is now more widespread, and we have access to a wider diversity of experiences thanks to the internet and social media.
The experiences of pansexual people would not be discounted or implied to be untrue, even if the phrase were new. The diversity of human experience will probably be reflected in our language as public perception develops, which is beautiful!
2. Pansexuals struggle to decide what they want because they are conflicted
The label “sitting on the fence” or “a stepping-stone to being gay” is frequently applied to pansexuality, much like it is to bisexuality. This myth is sometimes presented in a gendered manner, with women being characterized as “straight but experimenting” and men being regarded as “gay, but too afraid to come out true.” These concepts, which are also intrinsically homophobic, are yet another way our social culture’s patriarchy is expressed.
We are centering men in our knowledge of sexuality when we make the sexist assumptions listed above. We argue that a person cannot have a primary attraction to men while being drawn to people who identify as other genders. This is simply untrue; pansexuals are aware of who they are and don’t require the affirmation of those who identify differently from themselves.
3. How is it possible to be drawn to everyone? Pansexuals are avaricious!
One is not necessarily more or less likely to be attracted to someone simply because they can be attracted to anyone. Furthermore, it doesn’t always imply that they find everyone attractive. This is a misconception similar to the homophobic idea that all homosexual men or lesbians are innately drawn to all men or women.
Having the capacity to be attracted to persons of both genders is not “greedy.” An individual who identifies as pansexual need not be a relationship problem, be relentless in their pursuit of other people or be more inclined to betray. Nobody else should care how grownups choose to have mutually beneficial partnerships!
4. Pansexuality is transphobic, I’ve heard
One of the major myths regarding pansexuality is that because they don’t see trans people as men or women, pansexuals are somehow being transphobic when they say they’re attracted to them, but bisexuals aren’t. This is a false and harmful myth! Being attracted to someone does not depend on whether they are trans or cis because pansexuality is attraction regardless of gender.
Likewise, the existence of pansexuality does not imply that bisexual individuals are only attracted to men or women. Including non-binary people, bisexual people can find attraction in people who share their gender identity and those with different gender identities. Bisexuality isn’t constrained by binary conceptions of gender and sexuality, as made further clearer by the word “bi ” that has just lately emerged.
5. Pansexuality and bisexuality are synonymous, right?
Although pansexuality and bisexuality share many similarities, the official definitions take a different stance on gender. Bisexuality is the attraction to several gender identities. However, the word pan- means “all,” hence pansexuality is an attraction to all gender identities or attraction independent of gender identity.
There may be people who agree with the definition of pansexuality but yet call themselves “bisexual,” and that is entirely acceptable. Bisexuality and pansexuality are sometimes used synonymously. Because our identities are distinct and personal to each of us, we are all different from one another.
We hope this article partially dispels stereotypes or misconceptions about the pansexual community. Treat and love them fairly and civilly. Don’t forget to follow other topics at our Pansexual Flag shop!
