Identities, Experiences, and Community Among Pansexual Adults

Qualitative Research Methods | May 2018

I. Introduction

In recent years, people who fall on the LGBTQ spectrum^[1] have seen many improvements in the media and in their lives as United States citizens. June 26th, 2015 marked a victory in the United States as same-sex marriage was legalized^[2]. The ruling led many to believe that gay rights had been achieved and that there would no longer be struggles and obstacles to be overcome, however this was simply an optimistic outlook on the situation at hand. The struggle isn’t simply between LGBTQ individuals and a heteronormative^[3] society, rather it has multiple fronts that need to be addressed as well. One of these points of interest include unrest among lesser-known identities where their identities are constantly put into question and where they grapple with finding what sets their identity apart. Pansexuality is a prime example of an identity that is relatively unknown to the common public and faces these same issues.

Pansexuality is commonly defined as attraction to people where gender identity has no influence on attraction to others^[4]. Because pansexual individuals do not have the same representation and visibility as other more prominent sexualities, their primary struggle often takes place between people (heterosexual or not) who do not understand their sexuality and often try grouping them with another identity. It is very common for pansexuality to be categorized as a sub-section under bisexuality, thus grouping them together despite being two separate entities. Due of this, pansexual individuals often find themselves facing judgement from both heterosexual individuals as well as those who fall on the LGBTQ spectrum. There has been some effort within the bisexual community to be more accommodating for plurisexual identities^[5], which can best be exemplified by the invention of the term “bi+”^[6], however, it is a relatively new phenomenon that may take time to be considered by the communities it effects.

Taking into account the recent victories for LGBTQ-identifying people over the last couple years on the legal front, not much has been done specifically for pansexual individuals in the social realm. This research hopes to help bridge some gaps in understanding among people who do not identify as pansexual themselves to benefit those who do. Interview-based research will show how pansexual individuals relate to their orientations today as well as what areas they feel need to be addressed more in order to bring the community together. Despite increasing public acceptance of LGBT identities, interviews with pansexual individuals reveal their experience with the sexuality and their concerns with visibility struggles as well as perceived conflict among non-monosexual identities^[7].

II. Literature Review

Much of past research regarding pansexuality and the people who identify as such have been conducted in conjunction with other plurisexual identities or under the guise of research factors within the LGBTQ spectrum as a whole. Looking at past efforts to understand different areas of knowledge that pansexuality touches upon will help guide the research forward.

In a journal article written by April Scarlette Callis at Northern Kentucky University, her research titled “Bisexual, Pansexual, Queer: Non-Binary Identities and The Sexual Borderlands” sought to conceptualize non-binary sexual identities^[8] and attempt to provide clarity to a gray-area where sexualities without clear definitions could be understood. This research solidified how difficult it really is to give a concrete definition to a diverse group of individuals who may identify with more than one label^[9]. In the conclusion, the author states

“Though the sexual borderlands can be viewed as containing only non-binary sexualities such as bisexual and queer, in reality they touch on every sexual identity. Individuals of all sexualities react to the sexual borderlands, by crossing them, inhabiting them, fortifying against them, or denying them” (Callis 77).

Callis concludes that the sheer inter-connectedness of these sexualities relies on itself as well as those who fall outside of it to provide the context and definitive borders of what separates them from other sexualities. This research added to the obscurity when looking at an outside perspective, but in the process, it validated those who have complex identities.

        Moving from the inter-connectedness of various identities and how they interact with pansexuality, now it’s necessary to look at how pansexual individuals view themselves. A research study conducted by Ayisigi Hale Gonel for “Pansexual Identification in Online Communities” found that their respondents valued ability and willingness to be attracted to all genders and sexes the most out of the other two possible reasons for the most important part of their choice in identifying as pansexual^[10]. Another study by Alicia Anne Lapointe focused on student and teacher perspectives on bisexuality and pansexuality. The author found that of the Canadian youth who participated in the research, two of the pansexual participants defined pansexuality with the belief that pansexuality goes beyond the male/female binary^[11].

        Bisexuality and pansexuality are both plurisexual identities that often face lack of representation in the media as well as in LGBTQ-specific spaces. In the Lapointe study, some of her participants voiced their conviction of GSA clubs^[12] in that they didn’t seem to have as much time or energy allocated for bisexuality or pansexuality and were often in favor of monosexuality-related content instead^[13]. Her research also suggested that more inclusivity of non-monosexualities would help educate the public and possibly lead to wider acceptance^[14]. Because bisexuality and pansexuality are placed at a disadvantage compared to monosexualities, it would be advantageous for both parties to stand in solidarity together. While this is common among minority communities, there is some tension between bisexuality and pansexuality. In contrast, however, one study on perceived experiences of prejudice among self-identified plurisexual individuals found that bisexual people experience heightened sexual prejudice from lesbian and gay people in contrast to pansexual individuals’ experience with the same groups of people^[15].

        Knowing what the identity itself is often leads to another question regarding the make-up of the sexual minority with factors such as ethnicity, age, and gender being taken into account. A study done by James S. Morandini, Alexander Blaszczynski & Ilan Dar-Nimrod addressed the demographics of queer and pansexual identities. They found that ethnicity had no demographic difference when compared to other sexual identity groups^[16]. When age is considered, results showed that those who identified as queer or pansexual tended to be younger than other sexual identity groups^[17]. The study also found significant gender disparities^[18] among those who identify as pansexual. While these demographics are important to keep in mind for context, my study focuses solely on the experience of pansexual individuals, so gender is not taken into account during interviews.

III. Research Methods

        The goal of this research was to provide a glimpse into what people who identify as pansexual value and what they feel helps them stand apart from other sexualities. While much discussion is often focused on the rhetoric where people who fall on the LGBTQ spectrum are at odds in a society that greatly favors heterosexuality, it is less-known what discourse and struggles individuals may face on an interpersonal level within the LGBTQ umbrella. Pansexuality is one of the identities whose visibility often pales in comparison to the other identities represented in the community’s acronym.

Because the focus was on adults and their own experiences as pansexual individuals, the parameters for the participant pool needed to be specified. People could only partake in the interview if they were above eighteen years of age, identified as pansexual^[19] and agreed to sign a written consent form. In order to reach the intended audience, a public Facebook post was created that specified these parameters as well as provided the contact information for the researcher. It was an explicitly public post because the research information was then able to be shared among people who may not be on the original poster’s friend list, reaching a wider audience.

After a potential participant had expressed interest via email, the consent form was sent out. Upon being signed and returned to the researcher, an interview was set up. Interview options included Skype, Facebook Video, Facetime, phone, or in-person interviews. Once the interview began, participants were asked questions from a pre-approved list and the researcher transcribed their responses. Term and phrase patterns were noted across all interviews alongside individual contexts in order to provide a full picture without compromising the multi-faceted identities of those being interviewed. General consensuses and aggregate values found among participants will be noted as cohesive group thoughts and be used to discuss the potential commonality these responses may share on a larger scale. Any notable interview responses were highlighted for discussion in the “Findings” section, to point out any anomalies and showcase any sentiments that may actively contradict the common experiences among the majority of participants.

Because the participants come from a marginalized and sensitive group, extra measures needed to be taken to protect identities. Participants were informed on the consent page that their identities would be hidden as best as possible, so they need not fear backlash from others who would easily identify them outside of the context of this research. Primarily, information given during the interview process that would be different in the end upon research presentation included participants names being omitted, notable identifying information being altered, and any pronouns used to refer to participants becoming gender-neutral^[20].

IV. Findings

Throughout the entire process, I found the work and research relatively straightforward to complete, however, the aspect of the research process that came as a struggle was finding participants. After the original Facebook post was sent out, nearly two dozen people emailed expressing interest. Of the nearly two dozen potential candidates who reached out to me, I was only able to interview five in the end as the rest didn’t respond after the initial contact. While it would have been most beneficial to have more participants in this research and have a more well-rounded sample of where pansexual individuals see their identity and community in the year 2018, the respondents I was able to interview were valuable as well.

The participants’ interviews were each telling in their own regard, so they contributed much to the research findings with their individual, and often unique responses. At the end of the interview window, this study gathered interview responses from five individuals from a similar age group with diverse backgrounds. As previously stated, names will be omitted, and pronouns will be changed to gender-neutral terminology.

In the pool I worked with, every subject had identified as pansexual for at least three years, with two identifying upwards of six and seven years. This means that my participants had a more established relationship with their pansexuality and felt more secure in the identity. Four of the five respondents didn’t feel that there was enough representation or visibility in pansexuality, and the last respondent didn’t personally care about visibility as much as when they did at the beginning of their identification journey. The varying responses came as a surprise but since pansexuality is a lesser-known sexuality, the overall general consensus was not surprising when it came to seeing representation or visibility.

When asked to define pansexuality in their own words, nearly all respondents cited being able to be attracted to people of all genders and sexes or a variant of the wording.  One participant, Subject F, lightheartedly referred to their sexuality as a “free-loving zone”. These responses followed the work done previously by Ayisigi Gonel in the pansexual identification in online communities’ study regarding valuable aspects of identification previously discussed in the Literature Review section. In one interview, Subject F referred to pansexuality as the “same as bi, but [gender] doesn’t influence [their] attraction.” Subject A stated that while gender is an important facet of someone’s identity, it doesn’t factor into their attraction for someone. All respondents said they were comfortable in their sexuality, and a few such as Subject T mentioned that their identification in pansexuality grounded them and they felt free to explore their gender identities while still feeling secure in their sexuality.

Participants were also posed a question regarding any personal obstacles they may have met while identifying as pansexual. Subject A, who is very involved with the LGBTQ community on their university campus, said they feel they “have to be an educator”. They continue by saying it’s hard to set pansexuality apart from other multisexualities and they’re often met with pansexual erasure. Subject T also discussed erasure in their response and stated that it was frustrating trying to explain their identity constantly to heterosexual and cisgender people who can understand lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender identities but could not see the validity in pansexuality. Subjects V and M discussed the lack of understanding from people who don’t identify as pansexual. They, too, found themselves having to explain their identity and justify pansexuality to outsiders. Curiously, Subject F didn’t feel as though they’ve been met with any personal struggles aside from typical jokes^[21]. Subject F also pointed out that they don’t go out of their way to discuss their identity with others unless the topic comes up, so their lack of struggles could come from lack of exposure to potential situations where it could take place.

Part of this research also attempted to address the rift between pansexuality and bisexuality. Many had differing views on what constituted bisexuality and in turn how that related to their own sexuality when asked their thoughts on the subject. A few, such as respondent A offered that many bisexual individuals that they have come into contact with have considered bisexual to include one or more genders, which is more inclusive of nonbinary gender identities. A majority of the pool I interviewed, however, still considered bisexuality to be more focused on the gender binary of men and women, and thus exclusive of other gender identities that do not fall into place here. They cited the importance of including nonbinary gender identities in their sexuality of utmost importance and chose pansexuality for this reason when left with bisexuality or pansexuality as labels to match their experiences and identities. Subject V even described pansexuality’s definition by including the lack of the traditional gender binary, hinting that bisexuality is rooted in a male-female dynamic.

        Participants were asked how they have found others who identify as pansexual in hopes of finding a commonality in how pansexual individuals find each other and form community. Subject A gave an extensive response citing their campus support group for bisexual and pansexual people, the campus pride center, and other resource centers as the places where they’ve found others who identify with their experience and identity. One participant – Subject F – didn’t know anybody else who identifies as pansexual, and another – Subject V – only knew their best friend. Subject V also continued by stating they met their friend, who was already out as pansexual, around the time they themselves began considering pansexuality as their identity. Subject T also gave credit to their high school Gay-Straight Alliance, their local pride event, and a local university’s LGBTQ resource center, even saying “before GSA, I never knew any gay people.” Subject M was the only participant who cited social media as a gathering place of where they began networking with other pansexual people. Subject M also found pride events to be helpful in finding others as well.

Concerns for the pansexual community as a whole yielded a couple common themes. First, lack of knowledge and misinformation were cited as major concerns for Subjects V and M. Subject A emphasized the importance of addressing micro aggression from heterosexual people as well as people on the LGBTQ spectrum too. While discussing how pansexuality is often overlooked in LGBTQ communities, Subject T gave a personal example of how their local pride event didn’t even carry pansexual flags at merchandise stands until recently. Subject T continued by saying this experience felt very invalidating and excluding to them.

All participants wanted to see pansexuality represented better in the media for varying reasons. Subject F was hesitant to support widespread pansexual visibility as they didn’t want to see “pansexuality get beat up a lot like bisexuality did^[22]”, while Subject T felt that representation in the media was a good thing because if more celebrities^[23] came out as pansexual, they felt that it would become more accepted. Both Subject T and F, despite varying sentiments on the subject, indicated that they wanted to see pansexuality become more normalized. Subject A made it a point to say that increased understanding will add to public knowledge on pansexuality. In turn, this would lead to the knowledge being used as a source of power that can be channeled to create acceptance. All subjects were optimistic on where they saw pansexual representation going in the future. To bring in a real-world example of this, a democratic state representative came out as bisexual during her campaign for election and brought attention to pansexuality^[24]. Overall, participants held mostly similar viewpoints on the questions asked in the interviews and even if some contradicted others they had similar goals in mind.

V. Conclusion

While public acceptance of LGBTQ identities remains on the rise, interviews conducted with people who identify as pansexual show their experiences with the sexuality are diverse, and these individuals feel their concerns with visibility as well as perceived conflict among non-monosexual identities need to be addressed. Plurisexual identities such as bisexuality and pansexuality face lack of visibility and acceptance from both the LGBTQ community and those outside of it. Interviews with five pansexual-identifying individuals yielded telling information on their personal values in regard to their sexualities. Common themes that repeatedly came up between all interviews included visibility concerns in the media as well as within the LGBTQ community, the value of participation in LGBTQ-related organizations and events, and the desire to see pansexuality become a strong identity independent of bisexuality. The importance of representation was also realized in the consensus that more visibility would lead to normalization of pansexuality as well as the potential to be validated and accepted. More research could be done to address the bisexual perspective on pansexuality to see where both sides may share common concerns. While it is true that U.S. citizens who fall in the LGBTQ spectrum can now marry and adopt children, the struggle for recognition and equality among its lesser-known sexualities is far from over.

Works Cited

Callis, April Scarlette. "Bisexual, pansexual, queer: Non-binary identities and the sexual borderlands." Sexualities 17.1-2 (2014): 63-80.

Gonel, Ayisigi Hale. "Pansexual identification in online communities: Employing a collaborative queer method to study pansexuality." Graduate Journal of Social Science 10.1 (2013): 36-59.

“Labels.” Bisexual Resource Center, https://biresource.org/bisexuality-101/labels/.

Lapointe, Alicia Anne. "“It's not pans, it's people”: Student and teacher perspectives on bisexuality and pansexuality." Journal of Bisexuality 17.1 (2017): 88-107.

“Mary Gonzalez Comes out as Pansexual.” Dallas Voice, 10 Aug. 2012, https://dallasvoice.com/mary-gonzalez-pansexual/.

Mitchell, Renae C., Kyle S. Davis, and M. Paz Galupo. "Comparing perceived experiences of prejudice among self-identified plurisexual individuals." Psychology & Sexuality 6.3 (2015): 245-257.

Morandini, James S., Alexander Blaszczynski, and Ilan Dar-Nimrod. "Who adopts queer and pansexual sexual identities?" The Journal of Sex Research 54.7 (2017): 911-922.

Obergefell v. Hodges. 576 U.S. Supreme Court (2015).