I am pansexual, says Monaee

NEW YORK: Singer Janelle Monae (pic) has described herself as pansexual, sending searches for the term soaring.

Long ambiguous when talking about her sexuality, the musician and actress opened up in an interview published on the eve of her latest album’s release.

She told Rolling Stone magazine that she initially considered herself bisexual as she has had relationships with both men and women.

“But then later I read about pansexuality and was like, ‘ Oh, these are things that I identify with too’. I’m open to learning more about who I am,” she told the magazine.

Google showed that “pansexual”, “pansexual definition” and “Janelle Monae” were among its top five searches on Thursday in the United States.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary said that online searches on Thursday went up 11,000% for “pansexual”, which it defines as “characterised by sexual desire or attraction that is not limited to people of a particular gender identity or sexual orientation”.

Monae is not the first pop singer to embrace the term. In a 2015 interv view, Miley Cyrus said she identifi ied as pansexual, describing hersel lf as open-minded and feminist.

Monae, 32, mad de her name a decade ago with he er blend of classic soul and d jazz with psychedelic c rock and science fi iction themes.

She has starred d in the Oscar-winni ing film Moonlight an nd the well-receive ed Nasa history film m Hidden Figures.