Pansexual Visibility Day is more than jokes about pans and making out in the cookware aisle. Pansexuality has been a term since 1917 and goes beyond two genders (bisexuality) in its attractions.

The following is from my personal social media and combines humour with education so hence it begins… “No offence intended… as my partner is pansexual and that’s my pansexual Pride flag under my new 40cm paella pan that coincidentally arrived this week…”

Pansexual Visibility Day, Pan Pride

I remember the early jokes with pansexuality about making out in Lakeland’s cookware aisle on the queer comedy circuit (you know like Metrosexual is doing ‘it’ on the underground or Ubersexual in a cab).

My foodie followers on instagram or facebook will see a great frying pan for an ostrich egg, paella or risotto; my LGBTIQAP+ friends and allies will spot the official flag. I see both.

Well, the term has been around since 1917, more sexual revolution than Russian revolution. Pan-sexuality places sexual attraction above or beyond sex and gender. In its early Freudian years, it was more omnisexual and about primary or even primal sexual appetite. Now it’s considered a more diverse or inclusive version of bisexuality aligning its attractions to all genders (and none) not just two. Bi could also mean attraction to eg women and intersex, trans and men, androgynous and masculine. Polysexual is an attraction to several sex/gender identities, and pan – to all. Some see it as inclusive, others as gender blind. Some see Bi as the umbrella term, others Pan – and I’ve been in meetings where it was argued out!

Whilst my partner is pansexual I’m asexual which makes for interesting assumptions about us by others. But I’m also pansensual and polyflirty, and asexually polyamorous (they are for a whole other blog post)! I also studied ancient Greek so I can create new terms if I need them!

As with any identity label, this Pansexual Visibility Day (24 May), you should ask a pansexual what they mean by the term and enough jokes about saucepans!