Am I pansexual?

[thecrow]

As a kid I was always taught that gay/lesbian people were weird, until they were legalized in out state, and then my parents were like, "Yay! We never should have let same sex couples be illegal!" Anyway, I was reading a story a few months ago and one of the characters came out as pansexual, saying something like I will love anyone, regardless of their gender, after all, we are all people. I then started thinking about it, and it seemed like a good idea! But, now I am incredibly confused on where I stand with my sexuality! Help!
(Middle School Girl)

[Sam W]

Hi thecrow,

It's great that the story you were reading exposed you to an identity that resonated with you! I will say that it's totally normal and okay to feel unsure or confused about how you identify, but maybe we can give you some tools to help you process some of your thoughts and feelings about your sexual orientation. To start off with, is your confusion coming from the fact that you like the idea of being pansexual, but aren't sure if it matches the attraction patterns you experience in your life? Or is there something else that feels like it's the main source of the confusion?