If there is something the Internet is full of, it’s porn. Still, finding something that’s genuinely enjoyable is quite a challenge. Don’t give up though, it exists, you just have to know where to look.
Girl-on-girl is an extremely popular type of pornography. There is only one thing missing from it: actual lesbians. Or just a woman who actually wanted to have sex with another woman, ever. We all know that a many a straight man enjoys this genre, and after having talked to people, I also learned that straight women do too. For me, however, these movies were disappointing imagewise, soundwise, everythingwise.
I’m looking for scenes that are closer to reality. I want to see passion, I want to see intimacy - the things that make sex sex for me. Eventually I had turned to home videos (where the number of lesbian films are close to zero), and I also, from time to time, venture into the world of man-on-man gay porn - the actual anatomy of the performers doesn’t matter really.
Luckily, feminist pornography has been gaining more and more ground in the past 10 years, thanks to Anna Span, Petra Joy, and my personal favorite, Erika Lust. These women have brought a fresh perspective to the porn industry which has been traditionally sexist and centered on the male point of view.
What makes feminist porn feminist? Most importantly, it doesn’t objectify women. The production team also pays attention to how the cast and crew are treated, and the performers get equal pay regardless of gender. The directors work together with the actors, they give them space to incorporate their own desires into the narrative. This is especially important because the portrayal of pleasure is always prominent in these movies, as well as showing the female perspective (which is incredibly rare in mainstream porn).
All of this, however, doesn’t mean that these films go easy on the portrayal of the actual sex. No hidden body parts or prudish extreme close-ups, everything is just as direct and out there as in any other films. The difference lies in the narrative and in the visuals.
In 2017, a documentary series titled “Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On” premiered on Netflix. In the first episode, Erika Lust talks about her relationship with porn and why she decided to work in this industry:
When I look at regular mainstream porn, it's not good enough for me. I want something more. I want emotion. I want passion. I want intimacy. I want to feel with them.
This idea resonated with my own previously mentioned attitudes towards porn, so it’s no wonder that I also like her films.
I’m not saying everyone should watch these movies - especially because they are not cheap, and not easy to get hold of in other ways either - but I’m certain there is immense potential in these films. If more creators are able to enter the industry, it will diversify the market and more people will have the chance to find content that is suitable for their needs.
As Erika Lust said in her 2014 TED talk:
I don't want to get women out of porn. I want to get women into porn!
If you are interested in lesbian scenes specifically (Erika Lust’s movies have a few, but not many), check out this list by The Daily Dot: The 11 best porn sites for queer women.
Translated by Julis Pándi
