Pansexual describes a person who can be attracted to others regardless of their gender or gender identity.
Pansexual, often shortened to pan, describes attraction that is not limited by gender. A pansexual person can be drawn to men, women, and non-binary people alike.
The prefix pan means all. For many pansexual people, gender simply is not a deciding factor in who they find attractive. They are drawn to the individual rather than to a gender.
Pansexual is often compared to bisexual, and the two overlap. The common distinction is that bisexual attraction is to more than one gender, while pansexual attraction is regardless of gender, though many people use whichever label feels right to them.
Like any orientation, it is not a phase or an indecision. It is simply how a person experiences attraction.
Only the individual can say which label fits them best. For a deeper comparison of how pansexual and bisexual differ and overlap, read our complete guide below.