Just months after giving vaginas a monologue, Janelle Monae is passing her inclusive mic to members of one of the lesser understood communities on the sexuality spectrum. After years of public speculation surrounding her sexual orientation, the artist recently came out as pansexual.
Disclaimer: Because of stigmas surrounding queer identities, not all who identify as pansexual have the liberty of being a free-ass motherf**ker.
1. What it means.
Pansexuality is defined by Merriam-Webster as an attraction to all genders and sexes. Bisexuality is widely recognized as an attraction to men and women. In addition to being attracted to both men and women, pansexuals can also find themselves desiring transgendered individuals and those who don’t identify with the gender binary. They essentially want to get down with whoever’s energy they find themselves vibin’ with, regardless of gender or sex. Monae told Rolling Stone she initially believed herself to be bisexual until learning about pansexuality. For the 32-year-old and other pansexuals, it all comes down to the way you make them feel.
2. Where it comes from.
As with seemingly everything related to the peculiar nature of humankind, the origin of pansexuality traces back to Sigmund Freud, according to Psychology Today. Initially, the founder of psychoanalysis used the term to describe his theory that sexual energy and desire motivated all human interaction. Its definition has since evolved with the rise of LGBTQ activism, particularly in the 1990s.
3. Other regards.
Pansexuals, just like all others who don’t identify as heterosexuals, sometimes regard themselves as queer. The definition of queer, which was recently reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community, embodies all non-heterosexual identities and is somewhat similar to pansexuality in the vastness of its meaning.
4. Similarities and differences.
Although bisexuality and pansexuality aren’t one in the same, some pansexuals find it easier to identify as bisexual when sharing their sexual orientation with others as it’s a more commonly understood term.
5. Other free ass motherf**kers.
Rapper Angel Haze and actress Amandla Stenberg are also a couple of “free ass motherf**kers” who identified as pansexual. In June, Stenberg came out as all the way gay.
Shortly before Monae's long-awaited coming out, singer Kehlani — who is consistently putting on for the LGBTQ+ community and has been open about her attraction to men and women — established her identity as a queer woman. The 23-year-old posted a tweet stating that she didn't consider herself to be straight or bisexual. She, in fact, walks around thinking "errybody fine," — an aptly described sexual identity belonging in a league of its own.
