December 8th is Pansexual Pride Day, an occasion for us to learn about Pansexual history, uplift Pan voices, and dedicate ourselves to supporting the Pan community in their fight for the rights we all deserve. 

Pansexual Pride Day is the second of two similar events in the 2SLGBTQIA+ ‘calendar,’ so to speak, coming after Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day on May 24th.  This year’s blog post from that date includes a simple overview of Pan history and some Pan figures you might know; if that is of interest to you, be sure to check it out. 

‘Pan,’ encompassing both Pansexuality and Panromanticism, is a sexual and/or romantic orientation that is characterized by feeling attraction to all genders, without gender playing into said feelings of attraction at all.  To quote Pansexual Canadian icon, (from Schitt’s Creek) David Rose: “I like the wine, not the label.”  Pan identities fall under the multisexual umbrella—which also includes Bi, Omni, and Poly identities—but are distinct and unique identities of their own. Erasure, particularly erasing Pan identity in favour of calling Pan people ‘Bi,’ is a real issue, but Pan people have and will continue to proudly live their lives as their authentic selves, supported by a strong and vibrant community of others who feel the same way as they do.

The origins of Pansexual Pride Day are extremely murky.  It’s unknown when exactly the commemoration of December 8th began, as is why that specific date was chosen.  Unfortunately, this lack of information is standard for a lot of 2SLGBTQIA+ history, thanks to the simple fact that such history is often not considered to be worth recording.  Regardless, the lack of a concrete origin has no bearing on the importance of Pansexual Pride Day to the Pan community and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as a whole. 

The Pan label is relatively new in the grand scheme of 2SLGBTQIA+ terminology, and as such has been heavily influenced by the internet.  The internet has long been a powerful tool for 2SLGBTQIA+ people to connect with others in the community and for questioning folks to learn more about themselves, and Pan folks are no exception.  The first major Pan community on the internet was the LiveJournal community “I Am Pansexual” in 2002, but the Pan corner of the internet only blossomed from there.  Searches for ‘Pansexual’ saw an upward trend beginning in 2004, spiking in 2012, and booming in 2018.  The iconic Pan Pride flag even saw its debut on the internet, having been posted to an anonymous Tumblr account by creator Jasper V in 2010.  Today, websites, communities, and articles such as the one you’re reading right now continue to bolster, connect, and raise awareness for the Pan community. 

It’s important for those of us who aren’t part of the Pan community to continuously support Pan folks not only on this Pansexual Pride Day but every other day of the year.  The strength of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is in our diversity, and Pan people have always and will always be an intrinsic and inextricable part of said community and strength.