British politician Layla Moran comes out as pansexual

British politician comes out as pansexual

By: Ni帽a V. Guno - 5 years ago

Image: Facebook/@LaylaMoranUK

A British member of parliament (MP) has come out as pansexual while also announcing her relationship with a woman.

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran recently opened up about realizing she is pansexual and her relationship to Rosy Cobb, a former press officer from the same political party, Pink黑料社 reported yesterday, Jan. 2.

鈥淲e鈥檙e in a really committed, loving, supportive relationship,鈥� she told the British news site.

Moran explained that she made the public announcement because newspapers were inquiring about the relationship, as per The Guardian yesterday.

The politician previously had relationships with men; Cobb is her first same-sex partner. She told Pink黑料社 that they met at work six months ago.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 really something I had done before or considered before, but sometimes when you meet the right person, it just kind of happens,鈥� she said in the interview.

Identifying herself as pansexual, she explained, 鈥淧ansexuality, to me, means it doesn鈥檛 matter about the physical attributions of the person you fall in love with, it鈥檚 about the person themselves.鈥�

A definition of pansexuality from Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it as 鈥渟exual desire or attraction that is not limited to people of a particular gender identity or sexual orientation.鈥�

Moran consulted their party鈥檚 welfare officer about conflicts of interest at the start of their relationship. They were advised that it would not pose a problem.

However, when she opened up to others about the relationship, she was questioned on how a same-sex relationship could impact her career. Another issue was that Cobb was suspended from the party for allegedly forging an email.

鈥淭hey definitely would not have said anything like that had she been a man,鈥� Moran said.

鈥淭hat was the moment where I realized we like to think everything is equal, that no one cares, that it wouldn鈥檛 be a detriment. The reason I鈥檓 speaking out is because I want to prove it鈥檚 not a detriment. It鈥檚 a great thing.鈥�

Moran also went public with her sexuality on social media, posting a selfie of her and Cobb on Twitter today, Jan. 3.

鈥�2020 is a new decade and a new path in my journey. Last year I fell in love with a wonderful woman. Something I鈥檇 never even considered before. Now I am just happy #Pansexual #OutAndProud,鈥� she 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鈥檇 never even considered before. Now I am just happy

鈥� Layla Moran 馃敹馃晩锔� (@LaylaMoran)

Moran looks up to LGBTQ+ government officials such as former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and the former Conservative education secretary Justine Greening, though she believes she is the first to come out as pansexual.

She has generally found acceptance for their relationship, but is aware that LGBTQ+ equality still needs to be fought for.

Quoted in The Guardian, she said, 鈥淚t would be nice to think that everything was sorted with equal marriage and that we鈥檙e all accepting. But we also know that transphobic and biphobic hate crime has gone up.鈥澛� Ni帽a V. Guno /ra