All you have to do is watch a few minutes of mainstream porn to realize that plenty of it is demeaning and degrading toward women. And it's not just in front of the camera that these things play out; behind the camera, countless allegations have surfaced about unethical behavior, including claims of sexual assault on porn sets. Because it's a male-dominated field, it can be hard to find pornography that's both ethical and appeals to women's desires. But that's where feminist pornographer Erika Lust comes along.
When Lust launched her crowdsourced project, XConfessions, in 2013, she had the vision to offer an alternative to the porn that was already out there by offering sex-positive erotic films that, unlike so much mainstream porn, actually centered women and the pleasure of people assigned female at birth (AFAB). And, of course, she wanted to do it ethically.
"The concept of ethical as it relates to adult content production is complex," Lust tells Bustle. "It’s important to say there is not yet a consensus about what exactly it is, but in simple terms, ethical porn cares about the performer's welfare. It is adult cinema where consent has been given for every part of the film from all parties involved. This means consent regarding the sexual acts being performed, but also the rate of pay they are receiving. Personal limits and boundaries are respected and the performer can stop shooting at any moment if they feel uncomfortable. Everything is done under a safe sex environment, good working and safety conditions, and labor rights for performers and crew. This environment emphasizes safety and mutual respect."
According to Ayesha Hussain, a sex and porn coach, porn activist, and founder of The Violet, ethical porn can be more enjoyable for women to watch, as they’re less likely to be triggered or upset by something they see or hear. "Ethical porn creates safety and a sense of intimacy that can be felt off-screen," Hussain tells Bustle.
And just because it’s made ethically, this kind of porn isn’t necessarily the slower, softer kind of spoon-sex it’s often associated with.
"People can have healthy, consensual, aggressive sex," says Lola Jean, sex educator, and mental health professional. "It just shouldn't be that we only see abusive porn, women being submissive, or the person with a penis ejaculating — it's the variety. We need more things available."
Since the launch of Lust’s XConfessions in 2013, Hussain says there’s been an online boom of this kind of porn in the last five years. So if you’re looking for a variety of ethical porn sites, here are 12 places to start.