Pansexual

Sexual, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender.

Definition

Sexual, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender. Often described as "gender-blind" - gender is not a factor in the experience of attraction.

Etymology

Greek pan- (all) + sexualis. Note: "pansexualism" (Freud's theory that all behavior is driven by sexual instinct) is an entirely unrelated concept sharing only the prefix.

History

In 1974, Alice Cooper described pansexuality as openness to all kinds of sexual experiences with all kinds of people
1980s-1990s: "pansexual" circulated in queer and kink communities as a term for attraction not bounded by gender
c. 2010 - The pansexual flag appeared online anonymously and spread rapidly through Tumblr
Public figures including Miley Cyrus and Janelle Monae identifying as pansexual in the 2010s brought mainstream visibility

Common myths

"Pansexual and bisexual are the same thing." There is meaningful overlap, but pansexuality emphasizes attraction regardless of gender (gender-blind), while bisexuality acknowledges gender as a dimension of attraction without being limited by it.
"Pansexuality comes from Freud's pansexualism." Entirely different concepts sharing only a prefix.