Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Janelle Monae Just Came Out As Pansexual--So What Does That Mean?

Janelle Monae Just Came Out As Pansexual--So What Does That Mean?
Bank of America/Getty Images

Earlier this week, pop singer Janelle Monae came out as pansexual as rumors buzzed about her sexuality. But what does it mean, exactly, to be pansexual?


Often confused with bisexuality, which is having attraction to two or more genders, pansexuality enjoys more fluid boundaries and fewer gender restrictions. Unlike bisexuality, through which attraction is defined by gender, pansexuality involves being attracted to the person, regardless of their gender. Since gender is a sliding scale, so goes pansexuality, adhering to non-binary and genderless identities that are becoming more mainstream.

Pansexuality is defined by Merriam-Webster as:

"1: of, relating to, or characterized by sexual desire or attraction that is not limited to people of a particular gender identity or sexual orientation

  • Pansexual people are attracted to all kinds of people, regardless of their gender, sex or presentation.
  • —Farhana Khan
also : not solely homosexual or heterosexual
  • The famous 0-6 scale … was devised to chart sexual proclivities, from purely heterosexual (0) to purely homosexual (6). Kinsey felt humans are pansexual (most falling somewhere between 0 and 6), and restrictions imposed by society and religion lead to sexual maladjustments.
  • —Lisa C. Hickman
2: tending to suffuse all experience and conduct with erotic feeling
  • Although Whitman's impulses were homoerotic, he was pansexual in the sense that he could find the driving force of something such as sex in almost everything …
  • —Peter Craven"

In her groundbreaking interview with Rolling Stone, Monae explains why she says she is pansexual, rather than bisexual.

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_cker.
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.

Twitter users weighed on the discussion, offering their takes on the ever-evolving scale of sexual identity.







More from Trending

Donald Trump; Superman (2025) poster
Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Warner Bros. Pictures

White House Blasted After Portraying Trump As Superman In Bonkers Poster Mock-up

The White House was mercilessly mocked online after it posted a revised poster for the latest Superman film that features President Donald Trump as the Man of Steel.

The latest big screen adaptation of the famed superhero comic, Superman, was directed by James Gunn and stars David Corenswet as the titular superhero, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film has received positive reviews and has already made an estimated $2.8 million from Tuesday previews for a total $21 million, including Thursday previews.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Charlie Kirk
Real America's Voice

MAGA Influencer Charlie Kirk Called Out After Blaming DEI For High Death Toll In Texas Flooding Disaster

Turning Point USA founder and MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk was harshly criticized after he claimed the death toll in the flash floods that have devastated central Texas "would not have been as high if it wasn't for DEI," ridiculously suggesting that principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion were responsible.

Kirk's comments are reflective of President Donald Trump’s broader push to dismantle federal programs focused on diversity and inclusion—part of what he pledged in his inaugural address would be a campaign to stop attempts to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”

Keep ReadingShow less

People Reveal The Dark Secrets They Discovered About Someone After They Died

Sometimes you never know who someone is until they're gone.

Everyone has their secrets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters; Hakeem Jeffries
Fox News; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jesse Watters Pathetically Tries To Burn Hakeem Jeffries With Bizarre 'Rule For Men' Rant

Fox News personality Jesse Watters was widely mocked after he criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for having recently shared a photo of himself on Instagram that appeared to be digitally altered—with the bench he was leaning against noticeably warped around his hips.

You can see Jeffries' photo below.

Keep ReadingShow less
Snoop Dogg
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Snoop Dogg's Puppy Instagram Breaks Internet

Snoop Dogg introduced his fans to the newest little bow-wow in his household, a puppy named Baby Boy Broadus.

The adorable small tan French bulldog made his debut on the rapper’s Instagram account on June 28th, sporting a Louis Vuitton leash and chewing on his owner’s Death Row Jacket.

Keep ReadingShow less