The campaign for equal rights for the LGBTQIA community has grown during the twenty-first century. Same-sex marriage is accepted and permitted in several European nations and the United States. Marriage is illegal in some countries, although same-sex unions and partnerships are allowed.
There are many diverse sexual orientations, such as heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, pansexuality, and asexuality, among others. In this post, we’ll talk about pansexuality and the origins of the pansexual flag.
The History of Pansexuality
Define pansexuality then. The Greek prefix “Pan” signifies “all” in English. The literal translation in this instance would be all-sexual. No matter how a person identifies as gender, which may fall outside of the gender binary or be different from their sex, pansexuals are sexually attracted to all genders.
Early in the 20th century, Sigmund Freud, a well-known neurologist and the man credited with creating psychoanalysis, popularized the term “pansexualism.” Pansexualism was the term used at the time to describe the idea that sexual instincts account for the majority of human behavior. There are asexual people, of course, who have no sexual attraction to anyone. Freud received a lot of flak for his theory that sex served as the main driver behind human conduct. It’s not unreasonable to imagine that many would reject this idea, particularly during a more conservative period of the 1900s.
The word “pansexualism” evolved into the term “pansexual” and the definition we use today over time. Pansexuality was described differently by Alfred Kinsey, the inventor of the Kinsey scale, which was developed in the 1940s and allowed respondents to score themselves on a range of 0 to 6 in terms of their sexual orientation. 0 denoted total heterosexuality, while six denoted total homosexuality. The context and opportunity afforded by this scale allowed for an alternative to being straight or gay, which opened the door for pansexuality’s definition to develop.
Pansexuality is not included in the Kinsey scale; bisexuality is prominently displayed. The definition of bisexuality hasn’t changed since the Kinsey scale was first developed, but pansexuality has gained popularity and relevance as the transgender rights movement has evolved. For those who, once more, identify outside of the gender binary, this is equally pertinent.
The Pan Flag
Three horizontal colored stripes make up the pansexual flag: magenta (#FF218C), yellow (#FFD800), and cyan (#21B1FF). Yellow signifies attraction to persons who identify as genderqueer, nonbinary, agender, androgynous, intersex, or in any other way that does not fit into the gender binary of just male or female identity. Magenta represents those who identify as female regardless of sex. The color blue represents a desire for everyone who identifies as male, regardless of gender.
In order to distinguish between pansexuality and bisexuality, the pansexual pride flag was created. Bisexuality also has a pride flag with three stripes. It was made in 2010 and first published online by a user going by “Jasper V.” It has since garnered a lot of popularity and is currently one of the most well-known pride flags.
The month of Pansexual Awareness & Pride
Recent holidays include Pansexual Pride Day on December 8 and Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness and Visibility Day on May 24. Although the sexual and romantic attraction to persons of all genders is frequently referred to as pansexuality, the term “panromantic” mainly describes the romantic attraction to people of all genders. Many people’s sexuality and romantic interest tend to coincide.
However, specific individuals may exhibit both types of attraction, such as an asexual person with no sexual attraction to anyone or a panromantic one. You can still feel a romantic interest in someone even if you’re not interested in having sex.
The LGBTQIA community celebrates its identity during Pride Month, which is observed in June. The first pride march, which took place in New York City on June 28, 1970, due to the Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1969, is why Pride Day is observed explicitly on that day.
Riots over the Stonewall Inn’s closing broke out after the police stormed the gay club in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Revolts broke out in the streets outside the bar between customers, staff members, and locals and lasted for the following six days. The protesters urged the creation of spaces where LGBTQIA persons may express their sexuality openly without fear of retaliation or being detained by law enforcement for being who they are.
Above is a brief summary of basic information about the pansexual community in general and the Pan flag in particular. Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to share this exciting blog post.
