24 May is Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness and Visibility Day – but what exactly does it mean to be Pan?
To be pansexual is to have a sexual or romantic attraction not limited by gender, or gender identity, while to be panromantic is the same except without the sexual attraction. Attraction is not dependent on gender; pan people are attracted to the person before anything else. However, this doesn’t mean they’re attracted to anyone and everyone!
Though it’s likely that pansexuality has always existed in some form, to some degree, it is surely no coincidence that pansexuality has become more recognised in a modern society where people are able to explore and express their sexuality more openly. We are becoming gradually more aware of the largely socially-constructed nature of binary gender separation, and the fundamental nature of the shared humanity that unites us despite our comparatively superficial differences. Perhaps it’s not too much of a stretch to say that pansexuality reflects this.