On Our Backs magazine put lesbian desires front and centre.
Launched in San Francisco in 1984 by members of the lesbian feminist BDSM collective Samois, the magazine aimed to provide “entertainment for the adventurous lesbian,” a tagline that riffed on Playboy’s own “Entertainment for Men.”
On Our Backs was the first glossy magazine in the U.S. to celebrate lesbian sexuality and pleasure—and it did so explicitly. Its name served as a middle finger to off our backs, a radical feminist journal with anti-pornography messaging during the height of the feminist sex wars of the 1980s.
On Our Backs filled a void through its authentic representations of lesbian desires. Many of its spreads eroticized power dynamics and showcased diversity across race and gender identity. They pushed back at the idea that pornography, BDSM and sex positivity were inherently anti-feminist.
In addition to the magazine’s erotic photo shoots, On Our Backs also published interviews, fiction, sexual health and advice columns and even updates on the latest news and censorship efforts. And, of course, there was a robust personal ads section for readers to find potential lovers.
On Our Backs faced censorship attacks and funding roadblocks over the years, especially as there was less financial support at the time for erotic publishing for lesbians compared to gay men. The magazine ultimately ceased publication in 2006.
In 2011, Reveal Digital secured permission to digitize the majority of On Our Backs’ back catalogue, but those archives were removed in 2016 due to privacy disputes from past contributors and concerns about the archive’s potential exposure to minors.
In light of the digital archive’s removal, volunteers have taken alternative methods to digitize select issues to ensure that these pieces of history can remain accessible.
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