The LGBT+ community includes people from many different places on the spectrum. Pansexuality is one of the groups represented within LGBT+, and many public figures have opened up about their queerness in recent years.
Mae Whitman is a recent celebrity to open up about her sexuality, receiving a great deal of support from her fans on social media.
She also explained how, for many, pansexuality may be an unfamiliar term, and also tried to define how she feels within her sexuality, whilst also celebrating her upcoming TV series.
In a series of tweets, Whitman shared her sexuality, saying she was proud to be part of a show which had queer representation.
She said: “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”
The Owl House is an animated series on which Whitman voices Amity, who is one of Disney‘s first lesbian characters.
Creator Dana Terrace confirmed this on a Reddit thread with fans, writing: “Amity is intended to be a lesbian and Luz is bi. I apologize for my original post which was worded vaguely.
“Romantic threads are fun and I love how many people are connecting to that storyline but my personal taste as a storyteller will never allow me to write a full on romance saga.
“THAT BEING SAID… Me and the crew are having a crap ton of fun developing this thread in season 2. All the ins and outs of these storylines we’re keeping track of… Feels like we’re knitting.”
What Is Pansexual?
Along with sharing her pride in the TV series and its LGBT representation, Whitman also gave her definition of pansexual.
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 pic.twitter.com/B3C71c24aN
— mae whitman (@maebirdwing) August 16, 2021
She added: “I know ppl might be unfamiliar with what pansexual means; for me it means I know I can fall in love with people of all genders.
“This is the word that fits me best and I’m proud+happy to be part of the Bi+ community :,)”
LGBT charity Stonewall defines pansexual as: “refers to a person whose romantic and/or sexual attraction towards others is not limited by sex or gender.”
Whitman shared a link to charity GLAAD about bi+ representation, which includes pansexuality within it.
Various other celebrities have also come out as pansexual, such as Miley Cyrus and Janelle Monae.
Speaking to Variety, Cyrus said: “I went to the LGBTQ centre here in LA, and I started hearing these stories. I saw one human in particular who didn’t identify as male or female. I think that was the first gender-neutral person I’d ever met.
“Once I understood my gender more, which was unassigned, then I understood my sexuality more. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s why I don’t feel straight and I don’t feel gay. It’s because I’m not.'”
Panic! At The Disco singer Brendan Urie also came out as pansexual, saying in 2018 to Paper magazine: “If a person is great, then a person is great. I just like good people, if your heart’s in the right place. I’m definitely attracted to men.
“It’s just people that I am attracted to. I guess this is me coming out as pansexual.”
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
