What is feminist porn… and can porn even be feminist? If you’re asking these questions you aren’t alone. There are so many women who struggle with the idea of feminist porn. (And there are other women who just aren’t into porn at all, which is totally fine!) But for the women curious about or excited by the idea of watching porn (and potentially sharing that with their partner!), who are trying to approach it responsibly, you aren’t alone. Turns out about 50 percent of couples watch porn together. And since here at APW we’re a hundred percent down for keeping married sex awesome and feminist, we figured we’d compile a guide to feminist porn. With you know, lots of links on where to get it.
In fact, if you don’t need any more convincing and want to watch some free feminist porn right now, click here. For the rest of you who have questions, and you know, are maybe reading this at work, let’s go deeper:
What is feminist porn, really?
There’s a common misconception that feminist porn. The idea is that it’s touchy feely, is all about relationships, and it has a lot of kissing and foreplay. And if that’s the kind of porn you want to watch… it for sure exists. But if that sounds not hot to you, don’t worry. Feminist porn doesn’t have to be about soulfully looking into each other’s eyes. Because there is no amount of foreplay, no level of gender equality, no position, and no amount of eye contact that makes porn get a feminist gold stamp. Feminist porn can be about bondage all day, if that’s what you’re into.
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What makes porn feminist is if the performers are treated with dignity and respect off camera. The real questions are these: Is everyone tested properly? Are any performers pressured into scenes they’d rather not do? Are the performers’ safe words (the word that means you want everything to stop immediately) respected on set? Is the director advocating for the performers’ well being or rather are they more interested in profit at any cost? Similar to how buying ethical clothing is about the manufacturing and not the length of a hemline, ethical feminist porn is about what happens behind the scenes, not the content of the film.
Just as in tech, acting, and well—frankly any industry—women in the adult industry deal with a massive amount of misogyny, sexism, and abuse. So how do you make sure your porn is guilt-free? That’s when having a guide to feminist porn comes in handy.
Tips for getting into feminist porn (in the first place)
If you’re totally new to the adult video world, trying to figure out what porn is feminist porn can be overwhelming. And once you’ve found some you enjoy… how do you introduce the idea of watching it with your partner? Here are a few tips for easing into it:
- Bring up the topic in a casual space: I don’t mean that you should randomly start chatting feminist porn while you’re paying the bills, but if you and your partner are hanging on the couch and chatting anyway, open up a conversation about sex in general. The idea is to bring up the discussion before you’re doing the digital equivalent of popping in the video.
- Agree on what types of porn you’d be willing to explore: This is a great time to intro your partner to the idea of “feminist porn,” and also to check in about potential triggers. Maybe you both aren’t in to the same things. That’s fine! But have an open discussion about what kind of stuff you’d be into seeing, what you definitely want to avoid, and what stuff you might want to experiment with.
- Connect while you peruse: We have a tendency to compare ourselves to porn, which is futile for a million reasons, not the least because the subjects are paid performers. The first few times you watch together might feel weird (or not), but make sure it’s clear to each of you that you’re the focus—not the video. Bring it back around to your relationship: What about this excites you and your partner? Is it the position? The outfit? The sounds?
Pro-tip: If you share a computer (or have kids who get on your computers), put your browser in incognito mode.
where to find feminist porn
Editor’s Note on Free Porn: The closest thing to free on this list is Hot Movies For Her where you can watch 20 minutes for free, before needing to invest. Otherwise, you won’t find any free sites on this list. Turns out, most ethically made feminist porn that you find on major sites has been stolen, so none of the profits benefit the people working so hard to change the industry. You can read more about the piracy problem if you’re curious, but the bottom line is this: Sex work is work, and it should be paid for.
FROLICME: If you’re looking for HD erotic films, stories, and galleries with a serious production value and female-centric storyline, Frolicme is your golden ticket. Sensuality, naughty trysts, teasing, fantasy, and light bondage are the keywords here. You can start all-access immediately with a one-week trial for $6.95.
LUST CINEMA: Lust Cinema is a subscription-based service for those seeking an alternative to mainstream porn. All of the titles make the feminine perspective and understood, and innovation and eroticism are celebrated (not pushed aside). The collection spans everything, including vintage and modern feminist porn, tutorials, romance, and kink. Memberships start at $34.95 per month if you want a month-by-month option, or you can spring for a six-month membership that averages out to $16 per month.
For the girls: One of the original feminist porn sites on the (internet) block, this site was created by two women back in 2000. Since the content is curated based on what they personally find hot, For The Girls is primarily concerned with the straight female gaze. They have a massive archive of everything from softer solo-scenes to light kink. Membership is $44.95 for three months (90 days).
hot movies for HER: Want 20 minutes of free feminist porn? Hot Movies for Her has a huge selection of all sorts of feminist porn movies and scenes from solo and silly to hardcore kink. Plus, the site offers 20 minutes free before requiring a membership. If you like what you see, you can start buying more time for as low as $9.95.
Passionate VOD: Want to buy a set number of minutes and use them on a massive archive of feminist porn movies? (Timely: you can search by Stormy Daniels if you’re curious about her impressive adult career, both acting and directing!) Instead of a subscription, this video-on-demand service lets you buy credit and use it as rarely (or often) as you want. Thirty minutes of viewing time starts at $6.00.
X CONFESSIONS: This site is doing something a little different: people send in their erotic fantasies, and Erika Lust turns them into artfully made feminist porn films. Women take control of their own pleasure, the actors are real, and the collection of films is thoughtful and honest.
Trenchcoat x: Started by two superstar adult performers who are outspoken advocates for the industry, TRENCHCOATx is an exploration of feminist porn… made and curated by feminist pornstars. The website has a plethora of differently themed fun series you wouldn’t find elsewhere, from pseudo gonzo style exploits, gamer girl scenes, and one just on dirty talk. Individual downloads are possible, or memberships start at $24.95 a month.
PINK LABEL TV: Pink Label allows you to create a free account, browse their offerings, and choose what you want to rent. It’s like looking for a movie on Amazon, but for feminist porn. The studio places an emphasis on directors who are women of color, straight women, queer women, and trans women, and the titles are extremely feminist and LGBTQ-friendly. Each rental supports the studio directly, so they can in turn continue to make feminist porn.
smart ass productions:Tristan Taormino is an author, columnist, sex educator, radio host, and feminist pornographer, and Smart Ass Productions is her adult film production company. In her years spent educating, speaking, and orchestrating workshops, Tristan has learned that a lot of people who watch porn are sick of watching women fake orgasms (or not orgasm at all), and are ready for something real. She wanted to make movies that are different—adult films made without a side of degradation. And guys? She has tons of options: The Chemistry Series, The Expert Guide Series, and Tristan Taormino’s Rough Sex, to name a few.
Bright Desire: Indie feminist porn publisher with a focus on real bodies and real sex: laughter, intimacy, the whole package. These movies are about the joy of sex, and include experimental videos as well as interviews with the performers! Membership is $37.95 for three months (90 days).
Crash Pad Series: The Crash Pad Series is based on a queer porn cult classic by the same name. The gist is this: you need a key to enter the crash pad, and once you’ve used your key seven times, you have to leave. It’s like reality TV… as LGBTQ feminist porn. Memberships start at $9.99 a month.
LADY CHEEKY: Lady Cheeky was started by Elle Chase, an educator on sex, body positivity, and sexuality. The site is often praised for being the number one porn site for women, and is essentially a Tumblr-style blog of porn photos.
Wildflower Sex: Not a feminist porn site, but should you have sexual questions or want toys to go along with your films, this is the best resource. Not only is it a queer-owned, sex-positive toy shop, but the founder has videos answering sex FAQ using massive prop genitals she made herself. 10/10, would buy all the items here.
THE FEMINIST PORN AWARDS: While not a production company, The Feminist Porn Awards are an excellent jumping off point for anyone looking for industry-approved feminist porn films. The categories are wide and varied: Hottest Kink Film, Most Tantalizing Trans Film, Steamiest Straight Movie, Best Boygasm, etc.
do you watch feminist porn? are both of you equally into watching, or was it a process? share your links and tips below!
