Awareness
May 24th is Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day, an opportunity for us to lift up Pan voices, celebrate the Pan community, and reaffirm the unshakeable place Pan people have in the Gender, Sexuality, Relationship, Diverse (GSRD) community.
Pansexual and Panromantic—often shortened to ‘Pan’—fall under the multisexual umbrella, a category that also includes, but is not limited to, Bisexual, Omnisexual, and Polysexual. It’s important to clarify that, while there is a commonality between these identities, Pan people claim a distinct identity apart from these other labels. Pansexual and Panromantic can be defined as a person who experiences attraction without any regard to gender, sometimes described as being ‘gender-blind.’ This does not mean that Pan people are attracted to everyone, but rather that they have the capacity to feel attraction for anyone, without gender being a factor at all.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origins of “pansexual” can be traced back to a 1914 reference to ‘pan-sexualism’ in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. It was used in a critique of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical method by J. Victor Haberman, a fellow doctor. He used the term as he dissected one particular part of Freud’s theory; Freud’s insistence on “the pan-sexualism of mental life which makes every trend revert finally to the sexual.” While the term was exclusively clinical in its usage, we have records from Harlem and Chicago’s south side about people who loved beyond “labels and boundaries” from as far back as the 1920s. The first emergence of Pan as an identity label came relatively later, in the 1970s. In 1974, a New York Times article about ‘the sexual revolution’ used the term as a distinct label, although the tone was rather derisive. “I see that a lot of people are going bisexual this year,” it said. “This seems to be different from going homosexual, which was last year[…] I know what comes next season. It’s pansexuality.” By the 80s, Pansexual had truly developed into a distinct identity and had also grown roots in San Fransisco’s kink community as a way to say you were comfortable with many sorts of experiences. The community continued to grow through the nineties, aughts, and into the 2010s as characters and celebrities alike opened up about their experiences.
The Pan Flag began to see widespread use in 2010, after the design was posted on an anonymous Tumblr account by its creator Jasper V. Since then, it has been adopted as a beloved symbol of the community and has seen use across the globe as a way to spread awareness and increase recognition of Pan folks—and the vibrancy and unique struggles of their community.
Pan Folks, You Might Know
While the struggle for genuine and widespread representation is still a present issue among all identities of the GSRD community, it’s been truly wonderful to watch Pan representation flourish both on and off the screen in the last few years. In the real world, numerous celebrities publicly wear the label with pride, a group that includes Cara Delevingne, Wayne Brady, Gigi Gourgeous, Janelle Monáe, Seanan McGuire, Rina Sawayama, Miley Cyrus, Yungblud, and Mae Whitman. (voice actor of groundbreaking character Amity Blight)
Pan characters have likewise flourished on our screens, thanks in no small part to actors, writers, and creators who have fought tirelessly for the representation we now enjoy. Pan characters—like Klaus Hargreeves, (The Umbrella Academy) Rick Sanchez, (Rick and Morty) Lando Calrissian, (Star Wars) Jaskier, (The Witcher) and, according to EP and co-showrunner Paul Simms, every vampire in What We Do In The Shadows—make us laugh, cry, and smile across channels and streaming services, and hopefully this number will only continue to grow.
Lastly, considering this is the Canadian Pride Historical Society, it would be impossible not to mention Schitt’s Creek. David Rose (played by Dan Levy) came out as pan early in the series run with a truly wonderful analogy; saying that he ‘likes the wine, not the label.’ Later on, his co-star Emily Hampshire would also proudly declare her identity, citing that scene as a key moment in her journey. Schitt’s Creek has always been an incredible series for all sorts of GSRD representation, and a shining example of the Canadian film and television industry, and thus it’s no surprise that it handled David Rose’s story and identity with the kind, earnest touch it uses for all its stories.
This Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day, let’s take the time to recognize and celebrate the impact Pan people have always had in the GSRD community and ensure we continue to strive for the rights and protections Pan people, and all those in the GSRD community, deserve to enjoy.
Wrriten by: Holly Mitchel
