Wayne Brady sets the record straight on 'the biggest misconception' about being pansexual

Wayne Brady is here to set the record straight on his pansexual identity.

The "Let's Make a Deal" host, 51, hosted the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday, celebrating LGBTQ+ stars and allies in entertainment.

Brady discussed common misconceptions about being pansexual following his reveal in August. "I had to do research and find out what it was that I (am)," he told People on the red carpet.

"The biggest misconception — and I even make a joke about it onstage tonight — is that people think that you're an indecisive bisexual," he said. "No, no. Let me set you straight."

Brady continued, "What the definition basically boils down to is, regardless of gender, regardless. So that means that I am happily free to fall in love with anybody here. If you're gay, if you're straight, if you're non-binary, trans, I don't care. It's the person, which in my mind is the ultimate in acceptance and loving."

The actor and comedian added that because his options for love are endless, it's a "win."

In an interview with People magazine published in August, Brady revealed 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 journey was an extension of the self-discovery he found through his mental health advocacy work, which he said was inspired by the death of actor Robin Williams in 2014.

“Once I opened that door to myself though, I had to start learning about myself, and I had to start owning up to things that maybe I'd either repressed, suppressed, or just didn't want to deal with,” Brady said.

Brady said while he’s experienced same-sex attraction in the past, he has “never dated a man.” He was previously married to Mandie Taketa — with whom he shares 21-year-old daughter Maile — and Diana Lasso.

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The game show host added that he felt shame for not being able to be open about his queer identity and stand in solidarity with his “wonderful community of friends who are in the LGBTQ+ community.”

“I've told myself in the past, also, nobody needs to know my personal business. The world can absolutely go without knowing that Wayne identifies as pan,” Brady said. “But that gave me license to still live in the shadows and to be secretive. What does that feel like to actually not be shameful, to not feel like, ‘Oh, I can't be part of this conversation because I'm lying?’ I had to break that behavior.”

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Is pansexuality different than bisexuality? 

Bisexuality and pansexuality are not interchangeable words, GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis previously told USA TODAY, though pansexuality does fall under the "bisexuality umbrella."

“Pan is more about all-inclusive, and bi tends to be more than one,” she said, adding, “The golden rule, honestly, is to call someone by how they identify.”

"Pansexuality is a newer and more expansive term, a bisexual person may have a preference more toward a particular gender and a pansexual person doesn't usually take gender into account," said Cathy Renna, director of communications at the National LGBTQ Task Force.

Only 1% to 2% of LGBTQ adults labeled themselves as queer, pansexual or asexual, according to a Gallup survey from February 2023.

"Sexual orientation is highly personal – meaning that a person may identify with a given sexual orientation based on their own internal definition, and two people who identify with the same orientation may do so based on entirely different patterns of sexual and romantic attraction and partnering," according to Shoshana Goldberg, public education and research director at the Human Rights Campaign.

Contributing: Edward Segarra and David Oliver