Wayne Brady is here to clarify his pansexual identity.
The 51-year-old “Let’s Make a Deal” host hosted the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday, recognizing LGBTQ+ stars and allies in the entertainment industry.
Brady spoke about common misconceptions about pansexuality following his debut in August. “I had to do some research and figure out what I am,” he told People on the red carpet.
“The biggest misconception – and I’m even making a joke about it on stage tonight – is that people think you’re an undecided bisexual,” he said. “No, no. Let me enlighten you.”
Brady continued, “The definition basically boils down to it being gender-agnostic. That means I’m happy to fall in love with anyone here. Whether you’re gay, whether you’re straight, whether you’re non-binary or trans, I don’t care. It’s about the person, and that’s the height of acceptance and love in my eyes.”
The actor and comedian added that it was a “win” because he had endless possibilities in love.
In an interview with People magazine published in August, Brady admitted that he identifies as pansexual. Pansexuality is a sexual orientation under the LGBTQ umbrella that refers to individuals who are attracted to others regardless of their gender identity.
The “Whose Line Is it Anyway?” star said his coming out was a continuation of his self-discovery through his work in mental health, which he said was inspired by the death of actor Robin Williams in 2014.
“Once I opened that door, I had to start getting to know myself and admitting things that I may have repressed or suppressed or just didn’t want to deal with,” Brady said.
Brady said that although he had experienced homosexual feelings in the past, he had “never dated a man.” He was previously married to Mandie Taketa – with whom he has 21-year-old daughter Maile – and Diana Lasso.
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The game show host added that he felt ashamed because he could not be open about his queer identity and show solidarity with his “wonderful community of friends from the LGBTQ+ community.”
“I’ve also told myself in the past that no one needs to know my personal business. The world can absolutely do without knowing that Wayne identifies as pan,” Brady said. “But that gave me permission to continue living in the shadows and having secrets. How does it feel to actually not feel ashamed, to not feel like, ‘Oh, I can’t be in this conversation because I’m lying?’ I had to change that behavior.”
What is pansexual? What you should know about the LGBTQ label.
Is pansexuality different from bisexuality?
The terms “bisexuality” and “pansexuality” are not interchangeable, GLAAD Executive Director Sarah Kate Ellis previously told USA TODAY, although pansexuality does fall under the term “bisexuality.”
“Pan tends to be about everything, and bi tends to be about more than one,” she said, adding, “The golden rule, honestly, is to address someone the way they identify.”
“Pansexuality is a newer and more inclusive term. A bisexual person may have a stronger preference for a particular gender, while a pansexual person is typically gender inconsiderate,” said Cathy Renna, communications director for the National LGBTQ Task Force.
Only 1 to 2 percent of LGBTQ adults identified themselves as queer, pansexual, or asexual, according to a February 2023 Gallup poll.
“Sexual orientation is a highly personal matter. This means that one person may identify with a particular sexual orientation based on their own internal definition, while two people who identify with the same orientation may do so based on entirely different patterns of sexual and romantic attraction and partnership,” explains Shoshana Goldberg, director of public education and research at the Human Rights Campaign.
Contributors: Edward Segarra and David Oliver
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wayne Brady on pansexuality and the biggest misconception
