Bright Desire describes itself as “sex positive porn” but what does it mean?
Sex positive porn is adult content that ultimately presents a positive view of sex and has an overall ideology of embracing sex and sexuality as a healthy, good thing.
It helps to dig down into the overall idea of sex positivity. This is a way of looking at sex that rejects the historical stigma and negativity that has traditionally surrounded sex.
Sex Negative History
For too many years, sex was seen as a shameful, bad thing in Western culture. Centuries of religious puritanism and patriarchy meant that sex and sexuality became trapped in a very narrow view of what was acceptable. Until very recently the only acceptable way to have sex was heterosexual, male oriented and for procreation. Masturbation, homosexuality, kink, inter-racial relationships and sex work were frowned on or made illegal. Women’s enjoyment of sex (or even their consent) was seen as unnecessary and any woman who had sex before marriage, or who had multiple partners was a slut. Sex was for having babies and that’s all.
This sex-negative history is all bound up in how we think and talk about sex. Shame and stigma seem to be part and parcel of many people’s sexuality and it impacts how we treat other people. It’s so much a part of our culture that it has become invisible.
Sex negativity also present in how a lot of mainstream porn depicts sex. Think of how often the words “dirty”, “sin”, “sluts” and “whores” appear. Think of the way sex is usually only presented from the perspective of white, cis, straight males. Think of how in porn sex is often shown as a battle that one person has to lose.
Sex Positivity
The idea of sex positivity evolved in the “free love” movement of the 60s but it really gained ground with sex positive feminism in the 80s. At a time when many well-known feminists were anti-porn, sex positive feminists stood for women’s liberation from the many repressive attitudes to sex. Feminists such as Betty Dodson, Carol Queen, and Susie Bright advocated for women’s right to reproductive freedom, to bodily autonomy, to freedom from sexual violence and, importantly, women’s right to pleasure. Exploring their sexuality without the stigma and shame of patriarchy become a banner to rally around.
To be sex positive is to embrace these ideas:
- Enthusiastic consent and promoting consent education
- Acceptance of all sexualities and genders without judgement
- Acceptance of consensual kink and of differing sexual tastes
- Embracing safe sex practices and promoting safe sex
- Embracing body positivity and accepting that bodies come in all shapes, sizes and ethnicities
- Encouraging self-acceptance and self love
- Encouraging masturbation as a healthy sexual activity
- Advocating for comprehensive, shame-free sex education
- Exploring fantasies
- Setting sexual boundaries
- Communicating needs and desires without shame
- Acknowledging that sex work is work
- Acknowledging that porn is not inherently harmful or wrong
Sex Positive Porn
As part of the sex positive movement, feminists such as Candida Royalle, Annie Sprinkle and Nan Kinney began to create their own pornography that reflected their own ideals. Their work, which explored sex from a female perspective, was the beginning of the wider sex positive porn movement.
Today, sex positive porn is explicit adult content that seeks to depict sex in a positive way. This means it embodies many of the ideals listed above. Sex positive porn has a focus on consent and finds ways to make consent sexy. It isn’t judgemental about kink, taste or orientation. It features performers of differing body types and ethnicities. It shows safe sex, masturbation and different sexual techniques. Sometimes it is educational and sometimes it’s about pure fantasy. It presents the performers in a positive, respectful way. It’s made ethically.
Importantly, sex positive porn shows people sharing pleasure together. It depicts sex as a normal human activity that is enjoyable and important.
Bright Desire has been creating sex positive porn since 2012. It’s part of the wider ethos of ethical, feminist porn that drives the site. You’ll find erotic films and fiction that show sex and sexuality as good, worthwhile things. The content celebrates intimacy, connection, laughter, intensity and mutual pleasure. BD seeks to make a better kind of porn which leaves you feeling happy and uplifted after you’ve enjoyed it.
If you want to support our sex positive porn, please consider joining Bright Desire.
