Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has come out as a pansexual after she made her relationship official on Twitter by posting a picture with her partner, Rosy Cobb, former Lib Dem press officer. With this announcement, Moran became the first British MP to admit to her pansexuality. Prior to Cobb, Moran, who is trying to become leader of the party, dated only men.
In a tweet, Moran, the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, wrote: "2020 is a new decade and a new path in my journey. Last year I fell in love with a wonderful woman. Something I'd never even considered before. Now I am just happy #Pansexual #OutAndProud."
Parliament is weird backward place on such issues- Moran
Speaking to Pink News, Moran revealed that her family and friends supported her sexual preference even though apprehensions were raised about it destroying her career. "I feel now is the time to talk about it, because as an MP I spend a lot of my time defending our community and talking about our community. I want people to know I am part of our community as well," said the politician.
"Pansexuality, to me, means it doesn't matter about the physical attributions of the person you fall in love with, it's about the person themselves. It doesn't matter if they're a man or a woman or gender non-conforming, it doesn't matter if they identify as gay or not. In the end, these are all things that don't matter - the thing that matters is the person, and that you love the person," she added.
Moran also raised concern about her image in the parliament once she opened about her relationship. "Parliament is a weird, backwards place on such issues. I don't know if there's any other [MPs] who would identify as pansexual, and not that many who identify as bisexual. There are a few women who are brilliant role models who have come out in their lesbian relationships," said the MP.
Who is a pansexual?
Also known as omnisexual, it is a term used to describe someone who is attracted to the other person irrespective of their gender or sex. It is a Greek word where 'pan' means 'all'. Unlike other sexual preferences, in pansexuality, a person is emotionally attracted to the other partner, rather than physical attributes, gender or sexual preference.
Pansexuality is quite different from bisexuality, where a person is attracted to more than one gender. In 2015, singer Miley Cyrus admitted to being a pansexual. Cyrus had admitted to her sexuality: "I'm very open about it – I'm pansexual."
