I think I may be panromantic, but when I learned about being pan I didn't feel any of the 'thank god' reaction do many people seem to. I am scared that maybe I just am interesting in learning about different sexualities And am actually just straight. Advicee going forward?
Hello, just wanted to say that all of this can be really confusing and that I totally relate. When I was first learning about LGBTQ+ identities, I thought I was just interested in learning more and being a good ally, when in fact the more I learned, the more I realized that wow there all these different ways to do love and romance and sexuality that I didn’t even realize were options for me. The idea that there was more out there, that I could chose to align myself with different kinds of love felt right. I felt nervous, but powerful.
When I first heard about the term pan, I was hesitant to apply it to myself because I felt like I was an imposter or I was just faking it to be more interesting-- but part of feeling that was just a product of compulsory heterosexuality--of growing up internalizing the idea that being straight was the default to the point that I was having trouble seeing myself as someone who might not be straight.
Not everyone has a “thank god” reaction to learning about being pan because we all are coming from different places and have unique and varied pan experiences. As for whether you’re straight or not, I think only you can figure that out. I would say, if you think you may be panromantic, explore those feelings and take time to think about what that’s bringing up for you. Maybe talk talk it over with some trusted friends or meet some random folks on the internet and tell them you’re panromantic and see how it feels to say that?
Best of luck, you got this!
