Pansexual Pride Flag: Meaning, Colours & Origin
The short version
- Pansexual describes people who experience attraction to others regardless of gender. The "pan" prefix comes from the Greek word for "all."
- The pansexual pride flag has 3 horizontal stripes: pink, yellow, and blue. Each represents one type of attraction.
- The flag emerged anonymously online around 2010. Attribution is disputed, most often credited to a Tumblr user known as Jasper V, though Evie Varney is also cited in some sources.
- Pansexuality is distinct from but overlaps with bisexuality. The community-current understanding: pansexual = attraction regardless of gender; bisexual = attraction to two or more genders.
- Pansexuality is sometimes confused with omnisexuality. The two are similar but not identical, see our pansexual vs omnisexual comparison for the breakdown.
We're Delwin and Jimmy, co-founders of Proud Zebra, a queer-owned Canadian small business designing pride pins and accessories from the Lower Mainland, BC. Pansexual customers are some of our most engaged community members, and the pan flag (pink-yellow-blue) shows up across our pins, lanyards, scarves, and stickers.
This guide covers the pansexual pride flag and identity, its colours, who designed it, what pansexuality means today, and how it relates to bisexuality and omnisexuality. It's part of our complete guide to LGBTQ+ pride flags.
What does pansexual mean?
Pansexual describes people who experience sexual and/or romantic attraction to others regardless of gender. The "pan" prefix comes from the Greek word for "all", and the identity is built around the idea that gender isn't a primary factor in the person's attraction. The pan sexuality meaning is sometimes written out as "pensexual" or "pansrxual" in casual searches, but the standard spelling is pansexual, and the pensexual meaning in english is identical: attraction regardless of gender.
The short pansexual definition: someone who can feel attraction to people of any gender, including men, women, non-binary, agender, genderfluid, trans, and intersex people. That definition has held steady in queer community use since the 1990s.
This doesn't mean pansexual people are attracted to everyone. It means gender doesn't function as a filter the way it does for orientations like gay (attracted to same gender) or straight (attracted to a different gender). A pansexual person might be attracted to specific people across many genders, or have type-based preferences that have nothing to do with gender.
Some common things pansexuality is not:
- Not the same as polyamorous. Pansexuality is about gender of attraction; polyamory is about relationship structure.
- Not "attracted to everyone." Pansexual people have preferences and types like anyone else.
- Not erasing of bisexuality. Pansexual and bisexual are related but distinct identities, not competing terms.
- Not a Tumblr invention from the 2010s. The term "pansexual" has been used in academic and clinical contexts since the early 1900s, though its modern community use solidified in the 2010s.
What does the pansexual pride flag look like?
The pansexual pride flag has 3 horizontal stripes. From top to bottom, the colours and meanings:
| Stripe | Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (top) | Pink | Attraction to women |
| 2 | Yellow | Attraction to non-binary, agender, and gender-diverse people |
| 3 (bottom) | Blue | Attraction to men |
The pink and blue stripes deliberately reference the gender associations many cultures attach to women and men. The yellow centre stripe was chosen to represent everyone in between or outside that binary, non-binary people, agender people, and the wide range of gender identities that don't fit pink or blue.
Who designed the pansexual pride flag?
The pansexual pride flag emerged anonymously online around 2010, with disputed attribution, most often credited to a Tumblr user known as Jasper V, though Evie Varney is also cited in some sources. The flag was created and shared during a moment when the pansexual community was rapidly growing and needed its own visible symbol distinct from the bisexual flag.
Like many community-stewarded pride flags, the original designer's identity isn't fully verified across sources. The flag spread organically through online queer communities (Tumblr, LiveJournal, and later Twitter) and reached mainstream LGBTQ+ recognition by the mid-2010s.
How is pansexual different from bisexual?
This is the most-asked question about pansexual identity, and the answer has shifted as both communities have evolved.
The community-current understanding:
- Bisexual, attracted to two or more genders. The "bi" doesn't mean "exactly two" in the way some people assume. Most modern bi communities define it as "same gender + at least one other gender" or "two or more genders," and the major community organizations (including Bi.org) explicitly include trans and non-binary attraction within bi identity.
- Pansexual, attracted to people regardless of gender. The framing centres "gender doesn't matter to me" rather than "I'm attracted to multiple genders."
The difference is real but subtle. Many people use both labels, switch between them depending on context, or feel one fits better than the other for personal reasons. Some bi people describe themselves as "bi+" to signal inclusivity. Some pan people describe themselves as bi when the audience is unfamiliar with pansexuality. None of this is a hierarchy; the labels are tools for self-description. For adjacent attraction-based identity context, see our lesbian pride flag guide and our abrosexual guide (a sexual orientation that shifts over time).
"I got one at Vancouver Pride as a free gift and what a surprise! It's so soft and wonderful quality! I love it!"
Amelia S., on our pansexual pride flag twilly scarf
That's the kind of moment we set up for at our Vancouver Pride booth every year. We design pansexual pride pins, lanyards, and twilly scarves across the pan flag colours. Browse the full pride pins collection for the complete range.
How is pansexual different from omnisexual?
Pansexual and omnisexual are close cousins, often confused for each other.
- Pansexual, attraction regardless of gender. Gender isn't a factor.
- Omnisexual, attraction to all genders, but gender is still a factor in attraction.
The difference: a pansexual person doesn't notice or weight gender when they feel attraction. An omnisexual person can feel attraction across all genders, but might experience that attraction differently depending on the person's gender. Both are valid; the distinction matters more to some people than others.
Our dedicated pansexual vs omnisexual comparison post goes deeper into the differences and what each flag looks like.
For deeper community-maintained documentation on pansexual identity, the term's history, and the bi/pan distinction, see LGBTA Wiki's pansexuality entry.
Is pansexual part of the LGBTQ+ community?
Yes. Pansexual identity is part of LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA+, and LGBTQIA2S+ communities. The "+" at the end of LGBTQ+ holds space for orientations and identities beyond the letters spelled out, and pansexual is one of the most recognized of those. Many longer acronym variations (LGBTQIAP, LGBTQIAP2S+) include a "P" specifically for pansexual.
The lgbtqia meaning is worth a quick walk-through, because pansexual sits inside it:
- Lesbian
- Gay
- Bisexual
- Transgender
- Queer (or Questioning)
- Intersex
- Asexual (sometimes also Agender, Aromantic, or Ally depending on the source)
- + covers pansexual, omnisexual, demisexual, abrosexual, polysexual, and every other identity not spelled out in the letters
LGBTQIA2S+ adds 2S for Two-Spirit, a term specific to Indigenous communities in Turtle Island / North America that describes a gender or spiritual identity outside the colonial gender binary. The 2S placement at the front (sometimes 2SLGBTQIA+) is the form preferred by many Indigenous queer communities and increasingly by Canadian government and nonprofit usage.
So when someone asks "is pansexual lgbtq" or "is pansexual part of lgbt", the answer is yes, both directly (as part of the "+") and via the broader queer umbrella that LGBTQ+ stands in for.
Frequently asked questions
What does pansexual mean?
Pansexual describes people who experience sexual and/or romantic attraction to others regardless of gender. The "pan" prefix comes from the Greek word for "all." Pansexual people may be attracted to specific people across many genders; gender isn't a filter the way it is for orientations like gay or straight.
Who designed the pansexual pride flag?
The pansexual pride flag emerged anonymously online around 2010. Attribution is disputed, most often credited to a Tumblr user known as Jasper V, though Evie Varney is also cited in some sources. The 3-stripe design (pink, yellow, blue) spread through online queer communities and reached mainstream LGBTQ+ recognition by the mid-2010s.
What do the colours of the pansexual flag mean?
The 3 stripes represent: pink for attraction to women, yellow for attraction to non-binary, agender, and gender-diverse people, and blue for attraction to men. Pink and blue reference the gender associations many cultures attach to women and men; yellow represents everyone outside or between that binary.
Is pansexual the same as bisexual?
No, but they overlap. Bisexual means attracted to two or more genders. Pansexual means attracted to people regardless of gender. Most modern bi communities are explicitly inclusive of trans and non-binary attraction. Many people use both labels or switch between them depending on context. The labels aren't competing, they're different self-descriptions.
Is pansexual the same as omnisexual?
No, but they're close. Pansexual people experience attraction regardless of gender (gender isn't a factor). Omnisexual people experience attraction across all genders, but gender is still a factor in how that attraction works for them. Both identities are valid and have their own flags.
Is pansexual part of LGBTQ+?
Yes. Pansexual identity is part of LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA+, and LGBTQIA2S+ communities. The "+" in LGBTQ+ holds space for orientations and identities beyond the letters spelled out, and pansexual is one of the most recognized of those. Some longer acronym variations (LGBTQIAP, LGBTQIAP2S+) include a "P" specifically for pansexual.
What does LGBTQIA mean?
The lgbtqia meaning, letter by letter: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or Questioning), Intersex, Asexual. The "+" at the end covers pansexual, omnisexual, demisexual, abrosexual, polysexual, and other identities not spelled out. LGBTQIA2S+ adds "2S" for Two-Spirit, an Indigenous-specific identity from Turtle Island / North America.
Carrying the flag forward
Pansexual identity has built strong visibility over the last 15 years, and the pink-yellow-blue flag is now one of the most recognized identity flags at pride events worldwide. The community-stewarded origin of the flag (anonymous, organic, online) is a reminder that pride symbols don't need a famous designer to become meaningful. They become meaningful when the community wears them.
If you wear a pansexual pride pin, a pan twilly scarf, or one of the more specific identity flags from our complete pride flags guide, you're claiming visible space for an orientation that centres the irrelevance of gender in your attractions.
We've donated $10,219.58 CAD to LGBTQ+ organizations to date (lifetime, as of 2026-05-13), including Rainbow Refugee Society, Covenant House Vancouver, GLSEN, UNYA (Urban Native Youth Association), and BC pride societies. Sayoni was previously supported through our charity-pin partnership program (paused 2025+). See our donations page for the full breakdown. Every order helps that number grow.
Written by Delwin Tan, Co-Founder of Proud Zebra
Published 2026-05-06. Last updated 2026-05-06.
Delwin co-founded Proud Zebra with his partner Jimmy Cheang in late 2020. We're a queer-owned Canadian small business, designing pride pins, stickers, and accessories from the Lower Mainland, BC. We've donated over $10,219.58 CAD to LGBTQ+ organizations to date.
