''On Our Backs'' was the first women-run erotica magazine and the first magazine to feature

lesbian erotica Lesbian erotica deals with depictions in the visual arts of lesbianism, which is the expression of female-on-female sexuality. Lesbianism has been a theme in erotic art since at least the time of Culture of ancient Rome, ancient Rome, and many ...

for a lesbian audience in the United States. It ran from 1984 to 2006.

Origin

The magazine was first published in 1984 by Debi Sundahl and Myrna Elana, with the contributions of

Susie Bright Susannah Bright (born March 25, 1958) is an American feminist, author, journalist, critic, editor, publisher, producer, and performer, often on the subject of politics and sexuality. She is the recipient of the 2017 Humanist Feminist Award, and ...

, Nan Kinney, Leon Mostovoy,

Honey Lee Cottrell Honey Lee Cottrell (January 16, 1946 – September 21, 2015) was a lesbian photographer and filmmaker who lived most of her life in San Francisco, California. Her papers are part of the Human Sexuality Collection at Cornell University Library. E ...

, Dawn Lewis, Shelby Sharie Cohen, Happy Hyder,

Tee Corinne Tee A. Corinne (November 3, 1943 – August 27, 2006) was an American photographer, author, and editor notable for the portrayal of sexuality in her artwork. According to ''Completely Queer: The Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia'', "Corinne is one of ...

Jewelle Gomez Jewelle Gomez (born September 11, 1948) is an American author, poet, critic and playwright. She lived in New York City for 22 years, working in public television, theater, as well as philanthropy, before relocating to the West Coast. Her writing� ...

, Judith Stein,

Joan Nestle Joan Nestle (born May 12, 1940) is a Lambda Award winning writer and editor and a founder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives, which holds, among other things, everything she has ever written. She is openly lesbian and sees her work of archiving hi ...

Patrick Califia Patrick Califia (born 1954; formerly also known as Pat Califia and by the last name Califia-Rice) is an American writer of non-fiction essays about sexuality and of erotic fiction and poetry. Califia is a bisexual trans man. Prior to transition ...

, Morgan Gwenwald, Katie Niles, Noreen Scully, Sarita Johnson, and many others. Susie Bright became editor-in-chief for the next six years. Later editors included

Diane Anderson-Minshall Diane Anderson-Minshall (born March 19, 1968) is an American journalist and author best known for writing about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender subjects. She is the first female CEO of Pride Media. She is also the editorial director of ' ...

, Shar Rednour,

Tristan Taormino Tristan Taormino (born May 9, 1971) is an American feminist author, columnist, sex educator, activist, editor, speaker, radio host, and pornographic film director. She is most recently known for her book ''Opening Up: A Guide to Creating and Susta ...

, and

Diana Cage Diana Cage (born July 16, 1979) is an American feminist author, editor, cultural critic and radio personality. Her work examines sexuality, feminism, and LGBT culture. Career Cage began writing about sex and culture while interning under editor ...

. ''On Our Backs'' defined the look and politics of lesbian culture for the 80s, as well as playing a definitive role in the feminist sex wars of the period, taking the side of

sex-positive feminism Sex-positive feminism, also known as pro-sex feminism, sex-radical feminism, or sexually liberal feminism, is a feminist movement centering on the idea that sexual freedom is an essential component of women's freedom. Sex-positive feminism cen ...

. The title of the magazine was a satirical reference to ''

off our backs ''Off Our Backs'' (stylized in all lowercase; ''oob'') was an American radical feminist periodical that ran from 1970 to 2008. It began publishing on February 27, 1970, with a twelve-page tabloid first issue. From 2002 the editors adapted it ...

'', a long-running

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

newspaper that published the work of many

anti-pornography Reasons for opposition to pornography include religious objections and feminist concerns (for specific sectors of feminism), as well as alleged harmful effects, such as pornography addiction. Pornography addiction is not a condition recognized ...

feminists during the 1980s, and which the founders of ''On Our Backs'' considered prudish about sexuality. ''off our backs'' regarded the new magazine as "pseudo-feminist" and threatened legal action over the logo ''OOB''.Josh Sides, "Erotic City: Sexual Revolutions and the Making of Modern San Francisco", Oxford University Press US, 2009, , p.219

Operations

In 1985, Sundahl and Kinney spun off the first in a series of precedent-making lesbian erotic videos, called ''Fatale Video.'' Distribution of the magazine in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

began in 1986. By the late 1980s, Fatale Media was the largest producer of lesbian pornography in the world. In 1994, the magazine experienced financial problems, and filed for bankruptcy in May 1996. After being bought out by a new publisher, Melissa Murphy (who released only one issue) , it was acquired by HAF Enterprises (publisher of '' Girlfriends''). The original creators moved on to other projects .

Publishing

In 1996, a photography book based on the pioneering work of ''On Our Backs artists called ''Nothing but the Girl'' was published by Cassell Press, edited by

and

Jill Posener Jill Posener (born 1953) is a British photographer and playwright, known for her exploration of lesbian identity and erotica. Early life and education Posener was born in Greenwich, London, in the United Kingdom. She was educated as a st ...

End of publication and availability online

H.A.F.'s publication of ''On Our Backs'' and its sister publication, '' Girlfriends,'' both ceased publication in March 2006 after being bought out by the publishers of '' Velvetpark Magazine.'' Reveal Digital, a digital publisher, digitized issues of ''On Our Backs'' from July 1984 to December 2004; however, due to concerns regarding access by minors and contributor privacy, the scans were removed (at least temporarily) from Reveal Digital's Independent Voices collection.

References

External links

Digitized archive
of ''On Our Backs'' at Reveal Digital (starting with issue 1, Summer 1984) 1980s LGBT literature 1990s LGBT literature 2000s LGBT literature Bimonthly magazines published in the United States Defunct women's magazines published in the United States Erotica magazines published in the United States Lesbian culture in California Lesbian erotica Lesbian pornographic magazines Lesbian-related mass media in the United States Magazines established in 1984 Magazines disestablished in 2006 Magazines published in San Francisco Pornographic magazines published in the United States LGBT literature in the United States