Feminist porn as a genre, a category or a movement has been around for over a decade. And yet the phrase still raises eyebrows for some. Second-wave feminists in the 70s and 80s were often outspoken against pornography, to the point that it became entrenched in public consciousness that feminism and porn were natural enemies.
The truth is that porn can be – and is – feminist. By definition, porn is simply sexually explicit media. It’s not inherently sexist or degrading or sex-negative. When feminists create pornography that reflects their perspectives, their sexuality, their politics and their sexual ideals, that becomes feminist porn.
Attempts to define it can be difficult because the phrase means different things to different people. The term “feminist porn” could describe an ideal, a genre, a work ethic or an entire movement; it all depends on who you ask.
Feminist Porn As An Ideal
If we think of feminist porn as a political ideal, we might talk about pornography that reflects certain beliefs. Feminism has traditionally been about seeking equality between the sexes and breaking down patriarchy. Porn can reflect that by depicting female agency and female pleasure, assuming an equality between sexual partners without any assumption that the sex should involve sexist roles or behaviour. Feminist porn seeks to show enthusiastic consent and a belief that sex is ultimately a positive thing. Ultimately, one might argue that it aims to subvert the usual tropes of mainstream porn that tends to centre the white, straight male gaze. The concept of the “female gaze” – while difficult in itself to define – has long been part of the discussion.
Feminist porn ideology also embraces a wider, intersectional definition of feminism, giving space the pespectives of queer, trans, non-binary people and people of colour, embracing body positivity and fighting against racism, ablism, homophobia, transphobia and sex work stigma through the positive depiction of different sexualities and experiences.
Of course, all that may sound daunting to someone who is just looking to get off. And not all feminist porn reflects every belief or ideology under the wider umbrella of feminism. The main thing is the creator identifies as feminist and brings something of that to their work. And – of course – the ultimate aim of making pornography is to arouse. This remains the case; it’s just that feminist porn seeks to be inclusive and political while that happens. Successful creators turn the audience on without sacrificing their beliefs.
Feminist Porn As A Genre
Feminist porn as a “genre” is also fairly tricky to define as it includes so many types of sex acts, orientations, performers and methods. “Gonzo” porn – which has no plot and often the director is part of the action – is quite common, as is “documentary-style” shooting where the performers have whatever sex they like without direction. At the same time, you’ll find your fair share of feature-style films with elaborate storylines and great acting. Queer and lesbian porn has come to be heavily associated with it but there’s also plenty of heterosexual-themed films as well.
Feminist porn doesn’t discriminate when it comes to what sex it depicts. Films can show softcore, soft-focus, romantized sex or full-on hardcore, fisting, female ejaculation or intense kink. It can happily depict rough sex, BDSM, choking, spitting, facial cumshots or anything else Gail Dines regularly attributes to “degrading porn”. The sex acts themselves are not a defining feature; an emphasis on agency and enthusiastic consent – especially when it comes to “extreme” porn – takes precedence.
Female-identified directors have tended to dominate feminist porn but it’s not an exclusive club – male-identified directors have described their porn as feminist as well. And of course, trans and non-binary people feature as prominent creators of feminist porn content.
Ethical Porn
Recently, the focus has shifted within feminist porn from content to work practices. This has been largely driven by performers who are campaigning for better work conditions within the porn industry. Hence, the increasing focus on “ethical porn“. This can be described as pornography where the performers receive decent pay, are respected and treated well on set, where they are informed and consenting with regards to what happens on set and where they may also be working in collaboration with the directors and creators of the porn. This focus is a welcome shift, given how often porn is depicted as an exploitative and degrading industry for women. The ethics perspective centres the experiences of sex workers and performers, ensuring that the end product – whatever it may depict – was made fairly and without causing harm.
Another aspect of ethical porn is the push for people to pay for their porn (#payforyourporn). This is a response to the ongoing damage caused to the overall porn industry by piracy and tube sites such as Pornhub. Plunging profits have resulted in less pay for performers and less ideal working conditions. Asking consumers to make an ethical choice to pay for feminist porn means that producers are able to pay their performers properly and also to invest in future porn.
It is perhaps more useful to think of feminist porn as a movement within the porn industry, one that seeks to bring ethics into production alongside a desire to bring feminist ideals into what is depicted. It’s also seen a growth of creativity in how the porn is made and marketed. The movement has grown over the last decade and includes an incredibly diverse group of individuals and companies. If nothing else, the one thing that feminist porn creators share is the desire to make pornography better than it has been in the past and to reshape the industry to make it fairer, less sexist, less racist and more ethical.
It’s an admirable ideal.
See also: A Brief History Of Feminist Porn
-by Ms. Naughty, June 2018.
Ms Naughty is an Indie Porn Icon and creator of the site Bright Desire.