Taking place on May 24, Pansexual Visibility Day is a time to honour, celebrate and show solidarity with all the people around the world who are members of the pan community.
One common misconception is pansexuality is a new phenomenon. However, the term was conceived in the early 20th century, first appearing in 1914, and, as Stonewall points out, pansexuality has been used in its current definition since at least the 1960s. Following the publication of a LiveJournal article in 2002 titled ‘I Am Pansexual’, more people began to research the term, while public figures such as Janelle Monáe, Miley Cyrus, Kesha and comedian Joe Lycett have all come out as pansexual over the last few years.
Despite this fact, there is still a conflation between bisexuality and pansexuality. Thankfully, ever since its inception in 2014, Pansexual Visibility Day has an opportunity to educate people about what it means to be pan. It’s why Hinge has teamed up with LGBTQIA+ creator Copper and GAY TIMES to answer a NFAQ (Not-so Frequently Asked Question) for anyone who might need support: “How is pansexuality different from bisexuality?” .
@gaytimes Bisexuality and pansexuality are two very different identites, Copper explains more in our latest #HingeNFAQ ♬ original sound – GAY TIMES
“As a pansexual dude myself, I often get asked why I don’t identify as bisexual. What is the difference?” says Copper.
“To put it simply, bisexual is the attraction to two or more different genders, including men, women, non-binary and genderqueer people. Whereas pansexuality is being attracted to all genders. What that means is that pansexual people can be attracted to any person, regardless of their gender.”
While bisexuality does acknowledge that there are more than two genders, a person’s gender can still play a role in attraction. This is different for pansexuality, where gender does not play a role in attraction. “But it does not mean that you’re attracted to everyone you meet,” Copper adds. “That’s not true either.”
Of course, no matter your sexuality, it’s important to remember that your identity is valid.
What’s important is that we have moments like Pansexual Visibility Day that allow us to lift up people that make up the LGBTQIA+ community while providing space for people to ask meaningful questions so that they can live authentic lives. So if you have a Not-so Frequently Asked Question around identity or creating a meaningful connection, leave it as a comment in the TikTok for Copper.
80% of LGBTQIA+ daters on Hinge have struggled to find answers to their questions about relationships, self-discovery, gender, and sexuality. See what other inspiring voices like Copper have had to say at hinge.nfaq.co and submit your own.
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