Traumatic event changed my sexuality?
I (F16) have been pansexual/panromantic for as long as I remember, but recently I've been confused.
I've known about my sexuality since a very young age. I had my first crush on a girl when I was 8, and I never found it weird, actually I thought everyone liked all genders until I was around 10. I've always thought men were infinitely less attractive/good-looking then women, but I thought that was popular knowledge, and the idea of coming home to a men was always something I found uncomfortable.
I've only had relationships with boys until now, and I really wasn't all bothered by it - sure, I thought maybe I'm just not pretty enough for girls or "Gay looking" enough, but that's not the issue here.
I had a VERY traumatic experience in my last relationship with a boy (For a bit more context, it's been two years since this happened), and since then I've found it very hard to like men. Like, not just "I'm afraid of having other relationships", it's more of a "I'm afraid of men, I don't want to be involved with them never again". Not just consciously, I have a really hard time feeling any type of romantic or sexual attraction that I would normally have before. I had a crush on a boy for a few months, but it was more like I was attracted to the idea of being in a relationship and being loved than to the actual boy.
Am I still pan? Can someone change sexuality because of something that happenes in their life? Am I valid? Please help me understand myself.
Posted Mar 6, 2026, 8:46 PM UTC