What Is Pansexuality And Why Is It So Popular In Modern Film & TV? 

When I came out as pansexual, I came out of the pantry , not the closet .

Pansexuality is not opposed to bisexuality but rather can be considered a subterm under the bi umbrella for describing a particular nonmonosexual experience. We are more alike than not alike and bisexuality is not inherently transphobic (not any more so than being straight or gay is).

I come from a VERY -phobic family (homo- trans-... you name it they hate) and when my daughter was 13 she did one of those Thanksgiving turkey in school (the ones where you write what you're thankful for on each feather). One said "my friends" and another said "my girlfriend". Seeing this, I said "Sweetie..." "Yeah?" "My girlfriend?" She froze completely and true terror was all over her face as she waited for me to say the same stuff Mamaw always says to/about my cousin (she used to be my sister's BFF until she came out). I just shrugged and said "Heh, I kinda like girls too." The wave of relief that washed over her... I actually saw her get shorter (I know she didn't but it looked like it) cause all of her muscles relaxed at one and that fear was gone. Last week, her little sister (12 years old to her, now 14) was in the school play and, after the performance, she introduced me to some little girl named Tracy. She was super fidgety and excited while introducing us and it didn't click why so I asked, joking, "Why are you about to rocketshoe of some introduction (rocketshoe = blast off and fly around the room)? What awesome about Tracy? Is she a secret agent? " "Daaaaaaad..." (I was killing the moment, apparently. "Tracy isn't just my friend..." It took about 5 seconds of her staring at me with Lazer beam eyes then it hit me. "Ooooooohhhh... Daddy is dumb, sweetie, you know this." So I hugged Tracy and told my daughter I'd be in the car." Idk why I'm not like the rest. No different upbringing than any of the others but the whole "gays are bad because... reasons" thing just seemed odd to me. I am really dumb, though.. I get lost with pronoun. I've had several people explain them to me. I doesn't stick, idk why. I just casual slip in the "please don't destroy me if I screw up, I swear I don't suck, I'm just stupid" speech early on so I don't accidentally offend

I also think it’s important to be considerate of the sexual identity tied up to gender stereotypes. Sometimes, for example, being gay or lesbian is portrayed as having characteristics of the opposite gender, such as the well-dressed, “fruity” gay guy or the short-hair, manly lesbian. It’s perfectly fine if a non-straight person wants to adopt these characteristics, like gay guys painting their nails, but it’s harmful if that’s the only representation. Many of us don’t want to have their gender identity questioned because of their sexuality and just wanna go about our lives.

ooh how could you forget Rupaul, Denis Rodman, Little Richard, James Baldwin & Prince who were non conforming early on. They weren't loud about it but they were loud about it. Edit: Thank you everyone who mentioned more people. We must acknowledge those who came before us.

Bisexuality as attraction to "two sexes" is an oppositional definition -- it comes most often from people who identify as pan or who identify as neither pan nor bi trying to figure out how pansexuality is different than bisexuality. Oppositional definitions like this are always going to be SUPER problematic (and tend to feel like strawmen). Sometimes this definition is justified by extremely dubious linguistics, as they look at the roots of the words, but like, that's not how language works. (You can find that definition in historical discourse from bisexuals but the queer community didn't have established non-binary identities at the time, so what they were saying was inclusive of everyone. Non-binary folks have always existed, ofc, but the language was still developing.) Some amount of the rise in pansexuality as a label is surely rooted in avoiding biphobia. Both above, where it's coming from the community, but also from outside, in the form of "bisexual chic" that treats bisexuality as performative and/or transitory. A pansexual identity is an opportunity to be seen as legitimately queer in a way that has often been denied to people identifying as bisexual. Overall, I just wish this video was more focused on the sociological forces at play that led to us having two labels that are functionally indistinguishable from the outside (and often from the inside too). (And maybe not include that arophobic Ellen clip, whoof.)

Just to add a perspective I haven't seen in the comments yet - Bi and pan are different labels and people are bound to feel different about them, so people use the label(s) that they feel expresses themselves the most. Functionally bi and pan have lots of overlap, but one label makes me feel comfortable with myself and the other doesn't, so that's the label I use. Since labels mean different things to different people anyways, there's no point in trying to "standardize" definitions of bi and pan (beyond the basic "attraction to more than one gender" that basically all definitions boil down to), if you have a question about why someone identifies with a label, you should just ask them. A non-bi or pan example is that some lesbians only like "masc" women and some lesbians only like "fem" women (yes, not all lesbians fit in either of these groups, hence my word choice "some"). Both of them identify as lesbians but the label means different things to the two groups. I also think that it's worth pointing out that pansexuality is often oversexualized, and we should shy away from assumptions about people's sexual practices. Attraction takes many forms, it is not always sexual attraction.

Lord please deliver all these lost souls 🙏🏾🙏🏾💖🙏🏾..God bless you 🙏🏾💞

I remember hearing that Roger from American Dad was pansexual- then Deadpool. I'd like to see more pansexuals that aren't always jokey characters. I do know that Deadpool can be serious on occasion but he's basically the Bugs Bunny of Marvel.

I think science fiction in general should be covered in an episode for breaking TV taboos like race, sex, gender, and disabilities.

I like to learn about the different names pansexual , queer, bisexuality, gay. I am a 61yr woman that just want to learn without any disrespect , I have great respect for the community. I just believed in "live and let live".

Some are saying that bi and pan are the same and pan is under the bi umbrella but the terms we use and use them to mean are really up for debate and not for one person to decide. Personally I say bi for myself and don’t really identify with the pan experience much because of clearer preferences than that expressed by pan people. Still, I feel like distinguishing between the two creates confusion. But it’s kind of inevitable as long as bi is associated with the number 2.

Some made up bullshit is what it is. Because everyone needs to be a unique and special flower of unique and special origin. It’s just s way to ignore a cold and hard world by extending the childlike era of make believe.

"Pansexuality, as opposed to other forms of monosexuality or bisexuality, really is saying that people can have sexual attractions or sexual and romantic attractions to people regardless of gender identity." That's how I define my bisexuality. At 10:51, I love the phrase "letting us own our narratives." I'd love if bi people could own their narrative, too, and not have it defined by pan people. Why in order to try and define pansexuality do non-bi people have to falsely define bisexuals as transphobes, acephobes, NBphobes, etc.?

Some writers like pansexuality because that means that character is open to falling in Love with a multiple characters in their story. However that runs into the hurtful trope that pansexual people are sexually predatory or just have no standards and will sleep with anybody. Most writers are straight men so I think what writers need to do first is be educated on the spectrum of pansexuality and the complexities of it. There's tons of free videos forms and even free academic papers on pansexuality, so writers don't have much of an excuse to maintain ignorance.

I remember all through highschool thinking something was wrong with me because i never had any interest in sex with anyone, at all. I still dont. It is only because of the internet i have learned that i am asexual and according to my family i am probably agender as well because i have zero attachment to any gender as well. I really hope that all these advances continue despite the hatred from the people who refuse to accept that there are people out there who are different and have never and will never fit into the little box they want the world to fit into. I also hope that maybe someday i will see someone like me on tv so that others like me dont grow up thinking there is something wrong with them for having no interest in what seems to be the only thing everyone else talks about in the school hallways. Honestly Love is Love.

Another word for bisexuality…period!!!

Can we all just be human for once without all the labels attached?

Ok, so how many of you thought ‘Xena: The Warrior Princess’ was landmark Queer Representation? I know I did.

I love cooking on pans. I love frying eggs on pans. My pronouns are egg/fryer.

You just made me understand a storyline on All My Children back in the day it was a pansexual storyline without saying the word😉

You can't really experience a deep connection if you're fucking everything.

I think verilybitchie's video on this topic includes a lot of nuance that is lacking here if anyone would like further viewing.

As a bi guy that has only recently found a definition of pansexuality that made sense to me I really appreciated this video. It was best described to me recently that the biggest difference between pansexuality and bisexuality is preference. If you have a preference you're more than likely bisexual if everything under the sun is good you're probably pansexual. It always felt like nobody wanted to define it and it really confused me because I do have a preference but I've always subscribed to the two or more gender definition of bisexuality, so it always left me scratching my head.

Nobody ever talks about autosexuality...just saying! The only thing I can think of that includes that is pansexuality. What I mean is that someone who is pansexual can also include themselves. I'd like to hear more about that. The only one I've ever heard come close to talking about it is Lizzo in her song Soulmate...my favorite of her songs.

My first introduction to a pansexual character was in my late teens and came in the form of Captain Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spinoff, Torchwood. Despite the sci fi setting and sometimes over-the-top goofiness of the show and its characters, Jack still felt special to me because he had one facet of my being that I really hadn't seen portrayed anywhere else. Now, when I speak to those who may be unaware of pansexuality- or even bisexuality- I find that saying I'm an "equal opportunity admirer" usually gets the point across.

Terrible video. Not only it wasn't professional enough, it didn't answer either of the questions in the title completely.

It's great that pansexuality is getting representation in our culture. I just wish it didn't spread the false idea that bisexuality comes from binary or only liking the two traditional genders, etc. My understanding is in the olden days before our parents and grandparents were born when these terms first started being used there was hetreosexual for those that liked people different than themselves, homosexual for those that liked people similar to themselves, and bisexual for those that liked people both similar and different than themselves. For it's earliest days it was an umbrella term that was inclusive of all those people that some now try to claim it is exclusive of.

I'm sorry to hear that Janelle monae mindset of thinking is this way. They got a hold of a lovely one and turn her out, quite sad I may add.

I’m still a bit confused about the difference between bisexuality and pan sexuality but this episode was really informative. Good job 👍🏾

I am a straight BIPOC who is actively learning about LGBTQ+ issues for awareness/understanding and to be a better ally. However, I’m frequently seeing/hearing terms in media like “vanilla… basic…boring…” from individuals in the LGBTQ+ community when describing straight ppl. The aforementioned terms have a negative connotation as if there is something wrong with being straight. This is for everyone: be free to be who you are; be kind and treat everyone the way they want to be treated; and, let’s bury the derogatory descriptions.

It's important for older people too. My friend didn't know, or couldn't admit, she was trans until her 60s. I've worked very hard to make sure my son understands these things, whoever he grows up to be.

I’m so glad that this is finally being talked about. Because when I came out as a pansexual ppl were so confused and were asking questions like “so does this mean that your bi” Or “how does that work”. so for it to be noticed and talked about, I am just really happy. ❤❤

This is MADNESS and CONFUSION!.

I’m bi, and came out in the 70s. That said, I am attracted to all men, women, and people who identify as anything else. When my wife came out as trans, I didn’t have a problem living with a woman, and I don’t understand why binary trans people are included in the description of pansexuality, because my wife is a woman, period, not something separate. I understand that some assholes think differently, but I don’t consider her as anything but a woman.

With so many identities out there, I started to feel overwhelmed. That’s when I realized I liked identifying as just “queer”. It makes me feel comfortable. However, I still haven’t figured out if I CAN just identify as that. Connotations and meanings change a lot over time.

Can you guys do a topic on demisexuality on the asexual spectrum?

Oh gosh. LGBT people say that now we need a gay dictionary. It’s too much.

Never heard of pansexual until recently to me pansexual is the same as bisexual I am heterosexual and that is what I have always known anyone who dates both sexes is bisexual

The fact that PBS which takes American tax dollars to supposedly educate people or even just a video about "misgendering" can call Senate Bill 1834 the *"Don't Say Gay"* bill is beyond ironic. You should really be ashamed of yourselves.

Does anyone else find peoples obsession over themselves and the constant need for validation off putting?

Omg, what???. I'm seriously getting BURNED OUT on all this mess.

Honestly , my favorite thing about being pansexual is the kitchen jokes .

I wish people wouldn't get so caught up in defining/judging humans based on word stems. These terms did not arise from the earth itself, and not every word is a perfect catch-all that's constantly accurate for every situation. Language is only a man-made construct used to describe observations and facilitate exchanges and pass on information. Bisexual, pansexual, and omnisexual, etc..... Of course, you can choose to identify yourself using whichever one you prefer (for whatever reason you choose), but it does not define you or your complex preferences, it only attempts to make it easier to describe you before someone gets to know you on a deeper level.

We need a title or label for everything nowadays.

You people do realize its not a “dont say gay” bill😂

So basically, you're just attracted to; who your attracted too. 🙂

Looking to popular media to confirm any sort of personal identity seems dangerous at best. I feel sad for anyone that has to resort to this to feel validated.

Bottom line is it's rude and gross to express publicly what you do in your bed

Ever since I came out as pansexual, everywhere I go, spatulas try to spank me. 🥴

1. It's make believe nonsense. 2. I wouldn't use "big mouth" as evidence that something is "popular"

Hey PBS Origins, this is a great episode on pansexuality that managed to cover most of the nuanced conversation and I think its super helpful. That being said, that Ellen clip is pretty obtuse for referring to not wanting to be in a relationship as being a "freak". I would love to see more episodes like this covering different sexualities, specifically ones on asexuality and aromanticism.

I really hated that big-mouth episode. I am a trans person, who is pansexual.... and to me, an uncomfortable amount of backlash followed that big-mouth episode. Suddenly, it seemed like a lot of bisexuals, who do not experience it as a binary, really were very passionately trying to defend themselves... but in doing so, many overstepped and were really tearing into the pan community. Suddenly its like "cool you'd date a trans person. I am a trans person and all your doing is making me hate my pan-ness because BIG MOUTH fucked up rep?"

Eh, the Big Mouth definition of pansexual isn't the definition that I would have chosen to represent Pansexuality... Yeah, you can like tacos and burritos, but burritos that were labeled as tacos when they were young are still burritos, and tacos that were labeled as burritos are still tacos and still fall under the binary category and are still included under the "bisexual attraction" header. Where pansexuality differs is more like how I enjoy tacos and burritos, but I also like chimichangas, taco salads, french fries, burgers, milkshakes, falafel, stuffed mushrooms, cake, pie, and really just whatever food is available, provided I'm in the mood for it and it's available. (I think my favorite, most succinct explanation of pan is "I like holes") Trans women are still women, no matter where they are in their journey, and trans men are still men no matter where **they** are in their journey as well. The 'pan' part comes with including that you enjoy gender-nonconforming people, such as those who identify with nonbinary pronouns, including neopronouns and/or gender fluid, genderqueer, and everyone not directly identifying as "she" or "he". I'm sure that they meant well by including trans people when they implied that being pan means liking binary trans people, regardless of where they are transitionally, but it comes off as icky and tone-deaf and not just a little bit "othering".

It's bisexual that's it it's the same thing.. People just the term Pan because it's popular but it's the same as bi

That big mouth episode was so discouraging to see onscreen as a bi person. Undoubtedly unfixable damage has been done with how horrendously inaccurate its description of bisexuality was, and it was very disappointing after what seemed like a well written arc about Jay's bisexuality. I'm so tired of being told that I'm "actually pan" because I like people regardless of gender. I'm bi.

I’m pansexual and it’s not only common in films, I know a lot of people who are pan. Half my city could be pan, it’s likely.

They used to be called perverts. Now its pansexual or pervert light .

Pretty sure the fight about the defintion of bi and pan is ongoing and way more enflammed then this video hints at. Lots of people will take this title as an implicit stance on the issue.

1:31 When you wear a purse because none of your tops work.

I know this is an English, not American cultural reference, but the first queer cultural reference I can remember was the naked civil servant. Not pansexual though, I'm not sure it's as widespread as a term here in the UK.

Seems like squares and rectangles. A square is a type of rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square. Pan is a type of Bi, but Bi isn't really Pan...

Amazing how we pansexuals are attracted to many people not caring about their biological gender, only for their heart. We have no limits 💖💛💙

How did know one mention degrassi?!? GLEE?!? 😒😒

This is something I have been verbalizing my entire life when asked 'what's your type?' My answer was always absolutely nothing to do with the container and wholly to do with the spirit inside. I always thought that's how everyone was and how that's how things should be - that book/cover thing. It's still hard for me to see it differently; I have a straight child, a bi child, and very likely a lesbian child. At almost 47 there's a label for it.

As a gay man who is also genderqueer, I very much appreciate this video. Originauts, unite!

Not my first but my favorite was Oberyn Martel from game of thrones. "Why deprive yourself of half of life's pleasures"

I would like to know where all this bisexuality came from. The chemicals in the food that we eat. The chemicals in the air we breathe. The chemicals in the water that we drink. A change has certainly happened over the years and it's not a matter of coming out of the closet. There's definitely more now then what used to be. Every time they sample the drinking water they find all kinds of medications. Antidepressants Antibiotics, people are consuming things now for the past 50 years that has never been done before I'm convinced that's where this change has come from. Pick up a bag of any processed food that people eat on a regular basis. Look at the laundry list of chemicals that are in there. You can't tell me that's not changing People overtime,not only sexually, mentally, and physically as well.

Good episode. Roger from American Dad is Pansexual. Him from Power Puff Girls is based on the leader of the Blue Meanies from Beatles' Yellow Submarine. Good article that best describe me is "Yes I'm Pansexual And No Let's Not" By Susan S.

Ellen didn’t surprise anyone when she came out.

this is just lunacy. there is no lgbtx chromosomes. just be yourself and be proud of it.

So, they are bi-sexual. Why the need for another label? That is a serious question. I really dont understand.

My third and final comment people's sexuality does not have to be brought out of the bedroom and broadcast on the internet there's absolutely no reason for it whatever you do in the privacy of your bedroom as long as it's consensual and nobody is getting hurt I suppose that's okay no reason to have it all over the internet

FM radio frequencies put out better sound than AM stations. AM stations sucks. I hate even hearing it.

i want people to recognize me as a pansexual unicorn that's a travesty, heterosexual female-male. don't judge!

and this is just as real as the heteronormative hill I'm going to be buried on.

Thanks for using bi+ which I feel is the best way to express that bisexuality, pansexuality, queerness, etc are all related

Pan sexual is being attracted to bread, which is pan in Spanish.

This should not be on pbs…

I’m sorry but the word “Pansexual” makes me want to joke about Cookware

This has gone too far and it's not ok.

I see this comment section is curated... Define woman 👩🤔👀😏😳🤪

Pan means "All" Like Pantheism, so pan-sexuality could easily have a range of fetishes way beyond anything talked about.

i see pansexuality as attraction regardless of gender and bisexual as attraction where gender plays a factor, the attraction is different for different genders

Some people have a type. You know, strong type, quiet type, butch type, etc... Pan is me knowing I don't have a type. Every type is sexy in their own way, on their own terms.

it's not that I don't appreciate this episode being made, I just feel like you can't talk about pansexuality without talking about how bisexual people have been facing prejudice and discrimination in media and irl throughout the arc of gay liberation movement. there's nothing wrong with pansexuality not carrying the negative reputation that bisexuality does, but it's not purely positive progress for pansexuality to gain visibility while never redeeming the reputation of bisexuality, especially when you choose to draw on examples like Ali wong in big mouth actively trashing bisexuality. many of my strong feelings on this come from being a trans woman. we have spent decades being absolutely gutted by media and having that have a very material effect on the way we're treated by the world, only to have the cis world swimming in self congratulation for platforming every single kind of trans person except for those subject to transmisogyny. from big mouth painting all trans people as inherently separate from anyone else a cis person might be attracted to--simply by virtue of having transitioned, to mtv suddenly platforming every kind of genderqueer person under the sun.. but absolutely not a single transfeminine person, to this episode having a veeeery cis passing genderqueer person be the voice of the community, A GOOD HALF OF THIS KIND OF INCLUSION IS ERASURE. I was waiting the entire episode for it to be so much as mentioned and they did not say a single critical or non-positive thing. this is why trans women don't trust non-medically transitioning non-binary people--we're all one family with shared struggles, but the cis world is so ready to kick us out the back door as they come in the front so they can pretend they were the only ones in the house all along and never have to so much as acknowledge our existence.

Bisexuality = attraction to my gender and not my gender. If you must have two categories, there you have it. The “not my gender” category can be as big or as small as it suits whoever identifies as bisexual. They aren’t oppositional.

It’s bullshit. I’m about being a woman, Janelle. Like my mother and my grandmother and my aunts and all those women Ive loved and studied and listened to because they’ve added to my life. I get to determine myself, not you, not trends, not the screen, not society, not the government. I. Me. And it’s a singular identity that likes sex with men and I like it. I don’t always like the way I’m treated as a Black woman by absolutely everyone including the lgbtq community but Because I choose me first, I can handle all that. Or die trying! So actually I’m not all about my sexuality but my individuality and my capacity to connect, to engage with people. I call it unbreakable. I don’t like tacos or burritos, I like pho. Carry on. Love your performance! Talent.

We just got to slap a label on everything 🤦‍♂️

Why is the an advertisement on my feed? Weird..

Isn't this just bisexual..🤔

Unreal. This is PBS. We are in serious trouble... we are beyond infiltrated.

Let's be honest, what you are attracted to can never be defined outside of your individuality. Two people in the same "sexuality" can be attracted to entirely different people. Stop focusing on what "sexuality" you fall under and start focusing on yourself as an individual. As long as you are describing yourself with a label that others use you will never feel truly accepted. Start talking with people who disagree with you and learn to be yourself without any labels that give you a false identity. None of these talks on "sexuality" matter, but you do.

It used to be called "bi-sexual". What happened?

I’d just like to reiterate the main difference between bisexuality and pansexuality, as most people understand it now. Pansexual generally means that your attraction to people is **regardless of gender** . Thus pansexual people are generally attracted to people of any gender, because gender isn’t important to their attraction. If they like someone, it’s for other reasons e.g. personality, attractiveness, etc. Bisexual is different because it generally means that **gender is relevant** to your attraction. Because of this bisexual people can have attractions to some genders more than others, eg someone who is attracted to women and non-binary people, but not men.

Why is it important that everyone in the world needs to know? Less is more. But now we are down to analyzing this as if it is that important. It's not. Why this couldn't just stay in the bedroom regardless of what you see in the public. No one had to know.

Brilliant, engaging and informative content, folks! Thank you for educating us all. Also, am I the only one who noticed Megan Townsend's shirt may be a brilliant reference? At first, I'm admiring it, thinking it's a blind contour drawing. But then, taking a closer look, it reminds me of an image from Hedwig And The Angry Inch's song, The Origin of Love. The song talks about how humans, in their perfect, original form, had a male and female part that were united. (It's been forever since I listened to that particular song, so I apologize for any oversimplification or inaccuracies.) Food for thought!

I always thought I was Bisexual through my teens & my 20s. Now aged 50, I'm 100% Pansexual & Solosexual. ❤

I don't like the term because it more than simply implies that it's only about sex. It's about that yes, but it is also about other things that are at least as important and intrinsic to such a group. I think foremost it is about self identity. But it is also about romance, attraction, aesthetic, fashion, and a lot of other things for a lot of other people; and yes, about sexuality. So it's not that the term itself is wrong, but that it implies a very misleading concept.

I have a HUGE problem with this video They called Ellen funny.