Already being slightly enlightened about sexual identity and gender expression, the burning question I had going in to this year’s BECAUSE conference was this: “What is Pansexuality?”
After dialog with many individuals my take away is this: Pansexuality for many individuals relates to the attraction to and potential for sexual relationships with others regardless of a person’s gender.
Among attendees at the BECAUSE conference, one individual described pansexuality as: “Imagine bisexuality – but less exclusionary. Pansexuals are more inclusive of attraction to individuals that fall outside of the traditional gender binary of male and female identified individuals.
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Another attendee describes pansexuality as going beyond boundaries and being all -inclusive – like Pan American. Use of the prefix Pan allows us to broaden the scope of what is represented. “Basically, it is a term that further empowers individuals.”
Whatever your understanding and definition of pansexuality happens to be, Minnesota is a good place to further your understanding. There are many local groups and organizations that have made it their work to dialog about such things. One such resource is the website www.transcendingboundaries.org
Ross Neely, Co-Coordinator, GLBTA Programs Office Staff at the University of Minnesota describes pansexuality as this:
“First I would like to say that it is important to note that the word (pansexual) does not mean the same thing to everyone…
A working definition for some pansexuals refers to someone who may be romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to people of multiple genders/bodies though not necessarily in the same way or at the same time.
For others choosing the identity of pansexual is a deliberate attempt to not accept the traditional gender binary of Male and female.”
If wondering and curious to learn about these and other topics on emerging gender and sexual identities, the BECAUSE conference is a good place to start. If you are interested in additional resources please visit the Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance or the Bisexual Organizing Project.