The portrayal of lesbian sex has been a fixture of pornographic films since the dawn of the medium, when ‘girl on girl action’ dominated the frames of black and white stag films.
The only problem is, nobody got it right until the 1980s, with the dawn and birth of the woman-run Fatale Media. This was empowered, feminist, subversive erotica created by and for lesbians.
It’s only right that the next event in the “PinkLabel.tv Live Presents” virtual screening series, created and curated by prominent lesbian pornographer and PinkLabel.tv creator and curator Shine Louise Houston, is “Fatale Media’s Classic Dyke Porn” on Thursday, September 30, at 5 p.m. (PDT).
The event will be hosted by Houston with special guest Nan Kinney, Fatale co-founder, as they screen an array of films released by Fatale Media in the 1980s, ’90s and early ’00s.
“Thank God for Shine,” said Kinney, in an exclusive interview with The Feminist Sexpert. “If anybody was to tell me that, years after these movies were produced, they would be screened at virtual screenings and film festivals, I would have said they were crazy. The films have held up over time, and we can’t wait to show them to old and new audiences.”
And, many would say, thank God for Nan Kinney and her then partner, Debi Sundahl, who produced much of the first authentic lesbian erotica for a deprived audience; feeding their hungers and curiosities via an erotic film series, a live lesbian strip show performed exclusively for a female audience, and On Our Backs, the first–and to date–one of the few porn magazines to cater to–as its tagline read–the adventurous lesbian.
“Everything we did at Fatale was in a spirit of adventure,” said Kinney. “And we wanted to make porn that was right for lesbians.”
Aside from pictorials that featured women of all body types, erotic stories, and articles of interest to lesbians, On Our Backs featured advertisements for XXX lesbian porn films of every variety–and all produced by Fatale Media.
“Founded in 1984, Fatale Media produced explicit, high-quality videos geared to lesbians and other sexually adventurous souls,” a rep explained in a related news release. “Their production of lesbian erotic videos provided a hitherto absent service for the lesbian community. The company’s mission states: As women and homosexuals, lesbians deserve to have available to them quality sexual entertainment materials. These materials reflect the feminist right for control over our bodies, thereby promoting female sexual autonomy. These selections and excerpts showcase the excitement and importance of these now-classic dyke-produced adult films.”
(Right On!!!–Feminist Sexpert edit and interjection)
The virtual event’s schedule, noted the rep, includes butch/femme BDSM film “Shadows” (1985) directed by Debi Sundahl and Kinney; popular lesbian porn “Suburban Dykes” (1990) starring Nina Hartley, Pepper and Sharon Mitchell; “Safe is Desire” (1993), a feature film directed by Debi Sundahl showcasing San Francisco’s Safer Sex Sluts; and “Berlezk Live 2” (1993) directed by Kinney and Debbie Sundahl which documents “the first and longest-running lesbian striptease show, which played to women-only audiences in S.F. from 1984 to 1987 before expanding to twelve other cities in 1989.”
Each jewel in this curated collection represents a different take on the lesbian experience. Shadows starred a real-life couple who gave us an exciting glimpse into their private lives. Suburban Dykes starred a trio of porn legends offering a sexy, passionate tale of a couple in search of new thrills.
“Suburban Dykes is still screened at film festivals and has so many fans,” said Kinney. “The movie had humor and realism, which we tried to use in all of the movies.”
“Safe is Desire” was a vital film, presented at the dawn of the AIDS crisis, that presented and illustrated safe sex practices for lesbians.
“Some people didn’t want us to use the word safe in the title,” said Kinney. “But we were talking about safe sex techniques. And we needed to be. Eventually, the film ended up being shown in schools.”
“Berlezk 2” is a documentary depicting a San Francisco based female revue that brought lesbian fantasies to life for an all-female audience; often flipping the script by showcasing dancers dressed as brides, femme fatale screen sirens, drag kings, etc.
“These dancers were lesbians who wanted to perform for other women, who finally had their own strip club.” said Kenney.
Although varying in theme, these films all bore a vital and binding link.
“We got away from the old boys network of porn,” said Kenney. “This was something sexy and entertaining for women.”
Additional selections include “Take Her Down” (2003) directed by Barbara DeGenevieve, “presenting world-class champion oil wrestler Sondra Goodwin and the slippery depths of nude lesbian oil wrestling”; and “Full Load” (2003) directed by DeGenevieve depicting “transmasculine and lesbian sex scenes from the turn-of-the-century queer porn website ssspread.com, which were among some of the few available depictions of transmasculine sexuality.”
The Outfest UCLA Legacy Project for LGBT Moving Image Preservation provided access to the original masters, from which new HD digital files for this screening were created. And yep, a woman is behind that project as well.
“I’m so thankful to Jenni Olson for working to preserve the masters,” said Kinney.
The event is free to PinkLabel+ members; non-members may purchase a Film Pass for $7 (plus fees). The screenings are in English and open to those aged 18 and older.
Visit PinkLabel.tv for additional program details.
Follow Shine Louise Houston and PinkLabel.tv on Twitter for the latest updates.
Nan Kinney now is retired from the adult industry, but after some begging and pleading on The Feminist Sexpert’s part she did say this about the possibility of future Fatale productions.
“Never say never.”
And she has a message for those just beginning their sensual journey through the world of lesbian erotica.
“Explore,” she encouraged. “Try different sites, images and writings until you find what you like. And ask a friend.”
Or The Feminist Sexpert. Because thanks to the efforts of legendary trailblazers like Nan Kenney, I walk the trails they blazed.
