Pansexuality is a sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity. Pansexual Visibility Day, observed on 24 May each year, exists to raise awareness of pansexuality as a distinct sexual identity and to push back against the erasure pansexual people often experience.
This post covers what pansexual means, how it relates to bisexuality, and some well-known pansexual people whose visibility has shifted public understanding.
What does pansexual mean?
The literal meaning of the prefix pan- comes from the Ancient Greek word for “all” or “every”. A pansexual person is attracted to people regardless of gender. There’s some overlap with the term omnisexual, where the prefix omni- carries a similar meaning.
In the literal sense, pansexual is more inclusive than bisexual (which comes from the Greek word for “two”). Pansexual explicitly includes attraction to people who are not part of the gender binary, including non-binary, transgender, and intersex people.
In practice, many bisexual people understand their attraction inclusively too, covering people of all genders, not just two. The labels overlap, but they feel different to different people, and the choice between them is personal.
When is Pansexual Visibility Day?
Pansexual Visibility Day is held annually on 24 May. It’s a day to raise awareness, push back against the assumption that pansexual people don’t exist or that pansexuality is “just bisexuality with extra steps”, and celebrate pansexual identity for what it is: a distinct way of relating to attraction.
Why does Pansexual Visibility Day matter?
There’s a meaningful amount of erasure that pansexual people face. Some of it comes from outside the LGBTQIA+ community (the assumption that “pansexual” is a buzzword rather than a real orientation). Some of it comes from inside the community (the dismissal that pansexuality is just bisexuality renamed, or the implication that claiming pansexual identity is somehow performative).
Visibility days exist to make space for identities that get flattened or doubted. They’re a small annual reminder that pansexual people exist, have always existed, and deserve to describe themselves on their own terms.
Pansexual people in the public eye
A few well-known pansexual people whose visibility has helped shift the conversation:
Asia Kate Dillon
Best known for their roles as Brandy Epps in Orange is the New Black and Taylor Mason in Billions, Asia Kate Dillon is an American actor who uses they/them pronouns. Their role on Billions was the first non-binary main character on North American television.
“From the time I came to understand sex and sexual orientation, I’ve identified as pansexual.”
Amandla Stenberg
Amandla Stenberg is an American actor and singer who has starred in The Hunger Games and Sleepy Hollow, among many other films. They are non-binary and were included in Time’s list of Most Influential Teens in 2015 and 2016. They have been an outspoken supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights.
“I identify publicly as bisexual. I would also use the word pansexual to describe my sexuality.”
Jim Sterling (James Stephanie Sterling)
James Stephanie Sterling is a British-American YouTuber, critic, and pundit whose focus is on the video games industry. They have written for many outlets including Destructoid and The Escapist. They are non-binary and use they/them pronouns, and they use their platform to expose exploitative working conditions in the games industry alongside broader cultural commentary.
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus is an American actor and singer-songwriter whose musical styles span pop, country, hip hop, experimental, and rock. She identifies as gender fluid and is an outspoken supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights. She came out to her parents as pansexual at the age of 14.
“My whole life, I didn’t understand my own gender and my own sexuality.”
Where to next
- What does LGBTQIA+ mean? for a fuller breakdown of every letter in the acronym, including more on bisexuality and pansexuality.
- Read more on sexuality for explainers and lived-experience content on bisexuality, asexuality, coming out, and exploring labels.
Originally published 1 May 2023; revised for the new Kalda site, May 2026.