Feminist Pornography

This chapter aims to bridge the gap between antipornography feminism and sex-positive feminism. It argues in favor of feminist pornography by developing some thoughts proposed by Catharine MacKinnon and others. The basic idea is that antiporn feminism’s conviction in the power of representations to shape its users’ erotic tastes—a conviction the author endorses and develops in this chapter—should commit feminists to embracing forms of pornography that serve to shape its audiences’ erotic taste in the direction of gender equality. Some of these new transformative forms of pornography are already being produced under the banner of what is often called “feminist porn.” This vibrant and growing genre embraces works that cater to a wide variety of proclivities and interests, all committed to undermining gender injustice.