What does pansexual mean?

Short Answer

Pansexual means being attracted to people of any gender. For pansexual people, gender isn't a factor in who they're attracted to — someone's personality, energy, and connection matter more than their gender identity.

Pansexual vs. Bisexual

The two labels overlap heavily. Many people describe the difference like this:

• Bisexual: attracted to more than one gender. The gender(s) matter, and there are multiple.
• Pansexual: attracted to people regardless of gender. Gender isn't really on the radar.

Both identities are valid, and many people use them interchangeably or identify with both. Neither is "more inclusive" than the other — they're different lenses on similar experiences.

Common Misconceptions

• "Pansexuality is just bisexuality for attention" — No. It's a distinct label that has existed for decades and matters to the people who use it.
• "Pan people are attracted to everyone" — Attraction still depends on the person. Pan describes the capacity for attraction across genders, not a lack of standards.
• "Pan is transphobic" — No. Some critics say the label implies gender is binary, but pansexuality was coined specifically to reject the gender binary.