Six Reasons Why We Need Ethical Feminist Porn
By Alice Queen*
If you’re like me, then you probably enjoy porn, and if you don’t, well, that’s okay too! This is a judgment-free zone. In fact, until not long ago I despised porn, but that has now changed, thanks to Feminist Ethical Porn!
In the past, I’ve simply found the porn industry to be a bit demeaning or lacking in truly good content. I believe I wasn’t alone in that thinking. I mean let’s just put it out there, most people, whether they want to admit it or not, enjoy various types of sexual imagery to get in the mood. However, nothing kills a sexual buzz more than exploited performers and discriminatory content.
It might seem like a turn-off to bring ethics and the feminist agenda into porn, but, for me, it was a real game-changer! Women taking ownership of their sexuality has been part of the feminist agenda for decades, porn is just a natural progression of the movement! Another natural progression is to see more and more women behind the scenes writing, directing, and producing porn!
When you have female audiences enjoying such movies and you know female performers are satisfied and safe in their workplace, it will make for better content that feels more authentic. A satisfied performer = a satisfied customer.
If they feel good, I feel good, we all feel good… sex is good.
The Rise of Feminist Porn: What Is It and Why Do We Need It?
To put it simply, feminist porn seeks to create more inclusive content with better narratives, and performers and creators that are treated ethically.
Ethical porn and feminist porn, however, can also be two separate things. There are those in the porn industry that seek to create safer work environments with fairly treated performers, but that doesn’t mean they are doing so from a feminist (or feminine, for that matter) perspective. Ethically created porn can still lack inclusivity or narratives that are relatable to more than just the male viewer. You can also have a creator that seeks to appeal to women while still exploiting their performers.
Personally, I look for porn that is both ethical and feminist. The good news is that generally speaking, creators of feminist porn tend to aim for content that is both inclusive, diverse, and ethical. This can also mean content that isn’t just appealing to women, but all sexualities and gender identities.
For being a billion-dollar industry that has been around for decades, the porn industry is surprisingly still stuck heavily in the past. Or, perhaps it’s not so surprising. With the societally popular opinion still being that men enjoy sex more than women, it’s not that shocking then that the porn industry aims to appeal mostly to male viewers.
But the truth is that women enjoy visual sexual stimulation, including porn. As we progress further and further into a future with a more inclusive society with diverse gender identities and sexuality, our porn is starting to reflect that as well. It’s time!
6 Reasons Why Ethical Feminist Porn Matters
1. More Inclusivity, Please!
With porn predominately being made to appease men, the performers that are chosen tend to also fulfill what many porn creators think men want to see based on societal standards and gender stereotypes.
But feminist porn seeks to create content with a wide variety of performers that appeal to a multitude of viewers. Doing so creates an across-the-board type of porn that feels more inclusive and relatable. Narrowing porn to appease only the “male gaze” is exclusionary and limits the demographic. Feminist porn is about making all feel welcome no matter where they fall on the spectrum of gender and sexuality, including marginalized communities.
Other important aspects of Ethical Feminist Porn are ‘body-positivity’ and ‘age-positivity’. This type of porn often embraces different age groups and different body types!
2. Surprise-Surprise! Women Like Sex Too!
As outdated as this notion seems, it is still the popular opinion that men enjoy sex more than women, and if a woman does enjoy sex, then society tends to use words like “slut” or “promiscuous” to define her.
With feminist porn, however, creators want to destigmatize sexuality, especially where women are concerned. We like sex too and there’s no shame in liking it! We are passionate, desirous beings, no matter what label you slap on us, and it’s about time that this ancient patriarchal way of thinking gets the boot.
3. Let’s Stop Exploiting Performers
This is the number one reason you should watch ethical feminist porn. For decades, performers and creators alike have been notoriously mistreated and underpaid. Just like many other industries, evidence shows that female performers earn less (on average) than their male counterparts!
Most mainstream porn has helped perpetuate this idea that women are sexual objects that can be used and abused as men please. Though porn actors and creators of all gender identities have been taken advantage of over the years, women seem to get the worst treatment of all. They are often asked to perform demeaning tasks in uncomfortable situations with little pay in the end.
Feminist porn creators are working hard to break this trend, ensuring all of their performers are treated equally and with respect in healthy and safe environments.
4. …Again, but With A Little More Emotion This Time
No, feminist porn does not mean producing content that is overly sentimental. It does often trend towards creating a narrative that is more relatable and authentic but make no mistake, feminist porn can be just as kinky and wild as any other porn. You still get explicit sex scenes!
It’s more about content that empowers the performers and the viewers, rather than making them feel like sexual objects. So, yes, feminist porn does have an emotional context, but in a way that provides a more ethical and realistic view of sex – a consensual act that is enjoyed by all parties, not something that is done to us or that we are forced into.
5. Men like it too!
Feminist porn is becoming increasingly popular among cis men and cis couples! It makes perfect sense. My husband and I agree that watching porn where all performers are equally enjoying sex rather than the ‘old boring’ man’s centered fantasies adds a degree of sexiness to it.
6. It’s Fun and Sexy!
Last, but certainly not least, ethical feminist porn matters because sex matters, and sex should not be something we are ashamed of.
Feminist porn isn’t just about creating something ethical, but it is also about empowering women, or anyone really, to feel comfortable with their sexuality. Sex is something that we should enjoy and porn that is more inclusive will hopefully start teaching people that it is okay to be open about their enjoyment of sex and help them to explore their sexuality even further without shame or embarrassment.
Where Can You Find Ethical Feminist Porn Right Now?
As adept as you might be at scouring the corners of the internet, when you’re in the mood it can be a bit of a pleasure kill to have to dig around for some good, ethical feminist porn. We get it – you want the good stuff, and you want it now. We’ve got you covered. This guide to the best feminist porn is a great place to start. You can also check Morgana – Documentary about the real life of feminist porn star Morgana Muses, as it offers an insight into the ‘behind the scenes’ of this industry and those who work in it.
*Alice Queen founded Vanilla is the New Kink as a site about sex toys, with a different ‘flavor’ (pun intended!) to what she predominantly saw online. As a late-40s mom of three, she often found that people think she had ‘retired her vagina’. So, Vanilla is the New Kink was born to celebrate mid-life sex and sexuality. Alice’s pronouns are she/her/hers.