The LGBTQ+ community continues to grow each and every day as more people come forward to express and share their authentic selves. The fact that we are moving towards an age where people feel safer to do so, despite the harshness that can still follow coming out, shows we are heading a step in the right direction.
Recommended VideosRecently television host and comedian Wayne Brady came out as pansexual, defined as being sexually or romantically attracted to people regardless of sex or gender. There is often some confusion over this term, even from within the LGBTQ+ community itself. The term bisexual means to be attracted to both genders, but some felt that this label didn’t correctly address exactly how they felt regarding their attraction.
Bisexual is an interesting one because it implies that there at two (“bi” meaning two) genders and that it wasn’t inclusive of transgender or gender non-conforming individuals. Now, arguments have been banded around, with many bisexual-identifying individuals claiming that this isn’t the case and that bisexual is not limited to just cis-gendered attraction. Different people have different definitions of what gender is and can be, but from this confusion, the term pansexual came into the foreground.
This definition comes with the broader definition of being attracted to anyone regardless of gender, be it cisgender, gender fluid, or transgender. Now, with that cleared up as best as it can be with such a complicated topic that people have their own personal feelings on (myself included as a bisexual individual who is now wondering if that is accurate), let’s have a look at some of the celebrities we know who have come out as pansexual.
Wayne Brady
Wayne Brady, famous for his comedic work on Whose Line Is It Anway? and hosting Let’s Make a Deal, is the most recent celeb to come out as pansexual. Talking to People, he said that after contemplating bisexuality, he “came to pansexual because — and I know that I’m completely messing up the dictionary meaning — but to me, pan means being able to be attracted to anyone who identifies as gay, straight, bi, transsexual or non-binary.”
He further expanded on how he sees pansexuality by stating, “I took pan to mean that not only can I be attracted to any of these people or types physically, but I could be attracted to the person there.” The actor realized this after focusing on his mental health after suffering from depression.
Miley Cyrus
The pop star came out as pansexual in an Elle interview back in 2015, saying, “I’m very open about it – I’m pansexual. But I’m not in a relationship. I’m 22 and going on dates, but I change my style every two weeks, let alone who I’m with.” Cyrus knew from a young age that she was queer, having had a conversation with her mother, aged just 14, on the topic.
She has been seen in a number of relationships, with her most well-known being her relationship with Liam Hemsworth, whom she married and later divorced. She is currently in a relationship with Maxx Morando.
Cara Delevigne
The model and actress has been open with her sexuality for some time now, though, as she states herself, it has been a fluid process. Having come out as bisexual in 2015, she then added that she was gender fluid three years later, and in 2020 came out as pansexual. She told Variety, “The thing is with me, I change a lot, I feel different all the time. Some days, I feel more womanly. Some days, I feel more like a man.”
It is likely this fluidity in her own identity allows her to see the attractive qualities in all, as she goes on to state, “I always will remain, I think, pansexual. However one defines themselves, whether it’s ‘they’ or ‘he’ or ‘she,’ I fall in love with the person — and that’s that. I’m attracted to the person.”
Mae Whitman
Actress Mae Whitman came out on Twitter back in 2021. The actress was celebrating the show The Owl House, in which she voiced Amity, Disney’s first major recurring lesbian character. While celebrating the show as another great animation celebrating queer people and culture, the actress tweeted,
“Just taking a moment to say I am SO proud to be even a small part of a show like The Owl House. Being pansexual myself, I wish I had such incredible characters like Amity and Luz in my life when I was growing up. Queer representation is sososo important :,) keep it up world! #TOH.”
Brendan Urie
Panic! At The Disco frontman Brendon Urie came out as pansexual back in 2018. The musician was already an LGBTQ+ icon without having ever come out as a community member, with bangers such as “Girls/Girls/Boys” becoming anthems for LGBTQ+ groups. In an interview with Paper Magazine in 2018, he said, “I’m married to a woman, and I’m very much in love with her, but I’m not opposed to a man because I like a person. Yeah, I guess you could qualify me as pansexual because I really don’t care. If a person is great, then a person is great.”
When asked if that was his coming out he replied, “I guess so, I guess this is me coming out as pansexual.”
Kesha
Kesha is an individual who has never really stated that they are pansexual, but the description of who they find attractive certainly would seem to imply they are (of course, everyone has their own way of labeling or choosing not to label themselves). The singer opened up about her sexuality in an interview with Seventeen Magazine all the way back in 2013 and declared, “I don’t love just men. I love people. It’s not about gender. It’s just about the spirit that exudes from that other person you’re with.”
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe is never one to conform to any norms, and that includes her sexuality. The singer and actress constantly breaks ground from her music to her acting and her red carpet style. What she seeks is the freedom to express herself and live a life that is true to her, telling Rolling Stone, “Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women – I consider myself to be a free-ass motherf****r.”
She originally identified as bisexual but has since changed her opinion on the topic, edifying, “Later I read about pansexuality and was like, ‘Oh, these are things that I identify with too.’ I’m open to learning more about who I am.”
Yungblud
British rapper Yungblud came out as pansexual back in 2020. It was in receiving his Gamechanger award from Attitude Awards that he came out about his own sexuality, not just as a pansexual but also polyamorous as well. When asked by Attitude Magazine if he considers himself a part of the community, he responded, “I know it’s such a massive statement to me, but probably, yeah, I think I would. I haven’t said that yet because I don’t want some mad article everywhere going, ‘Yungblud comes out as f*****g pan!’”
That is exactly what he stated, adding, “I wasn’t into that — like, my sexuality is mine, and I’m proud of it…I love everyone. I’m attracted to everyone.” He also credits his ex, the openly bisexual Halsey, for helping him make this discovery about himself.
Demi Lovato
The singer and actor came out as gender fluid in 2021, asking everyone to use they/them pronouns. Since then, they have reincorporated she/her pronouns due to getting tired of constantly educating people on the topic.
The same year they also came out as pansexual while speaking to Joe Rogan on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. They opened up about the “fluidity” of their attraction towards people, stating, “I’m so fluid now — and a part of the reason why I am so fluid is because I was super closeted off,” confirming they were pansexual.
Nico Tortorella
Actor Nico Tortorella has appeared in shows like Younger and The Walking Dead: World Beyond, as well as films such as Scream 4, so he is very used to having people wanting to know more about them. In 2020 they fully opened up about their sexuality to Attitude Magazine, about being gender fluid, pansexual, and polyamorous, as well as being in an open marriage. The star has been in a relationship with their now wife, Bethany C. Meyers, for 15 years but has explored their own sexuality outside of that too.
These are not the only notable celebrities to have opened up about being pansexual, with the likes of JoJo Siwa, Bella Thorne, Tess Holliday, Joe Lycett, and many others also confirming that they care less about gender and more about the person. Cliché as it may be, love is love, and when you do fall in love with someone, it’s usually their soul, not their body parts, at the end of the day.
ncG1vNJzZmivlZy8tcDHoqqcp6aav6awjZympmeTmrmmrtGiq6Kdo2R%2BcXnPmqWsnaiqrq15wp6jnpqinsGqsdJmq6hlm6O8uHnWmrCnnV2Xv6Kw2GakoqSVrnqkxdGuqmaZnpl6rrvRnmY%3D