Listen Live
Fantastic Voyage Generic Graphics Updated Nov 2023
Black America Web Featured Video
CLOSE

Mary Gonzalez campaigned and won votes to the Texas State House as the best candidate in El Paso. And now that she’s won the Democratic primary and faces the November election unopposed, she’s confidently opening up about her sexuality.

Gonzalez told reporters that she identifies herself as a pansexual. Although many find the sexual orientation similar to bisexuality, she explained that pansexuals do not believe in a gender binary and the attraction is based on all gender identities.

“Gender identity isn’t the defining part of my attraction,” Gonzalez explained.

Her recent revelation makes her the first U.S. official to publicity identify as a pansexual.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation commended Gonzalez for having the courage to open up about her orientation in the political spectrum.

“Leadership defines Representative Gonzalez’ ability to govern, not the person she loves,” Graddick says. ” Her courage to speak out is commendable at a time when visibility of diverse people in the LGBT community is low.”

Gonzalez originally came out as a bisexual at age 21 and revealed that she’s dated people who are transgender and “gender-queer” in addition to women.

“[I} feel as if the term bisexual was encompassing of a gender spectrum that I was dating and attracted to,” Gonzalez explained.

She said that she didn’t feel comfortable coming out during her election because she thought it would confuse and overwhelm people.

Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, commended Gonzalez’ decision on being the first to uniquely identify with being a pansexual.

“People should inform the media and others about the term they prefer, and that sort of education is a good thing,” Dison said. “It’s also a little more tricky in politics to be cutting edge and inform people about something they may not be familiar with.”