OPINION | Lesbian Movies are NOT All Porn

What is more, these porn sites will not be for lesbians! (I know that you’re all doing it now). Sadly for me and many others, as lesbians, we are not searching the word in order to find porn.

NO, we are searching the word to find information about lesbian culture, events, news stories, dating and lots more.

Just this week I was on the BBC discussing why people are still scared to talk about being ‘gay’. I believe that this is partly because people still correlate ‘gay’ to ‘sex’. Why is it that my relationship is often purely regarded in a sexual context, whereas heterosexual relationships are granted multi-dimensional explorations?

I love watching lesbian movies, as I feel that I can relate to the characters and get engrossed and empathic towards the journeys that they follow. That is when I can find a lesbian movie that is A. not porn, B. not made by men for men, C. made with truth and understanding.

There is a significant lack of lesbian movies on the shelves due to the fact that the genre is still marginalised and therefore not granted funding or support. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule.

Nicole Conn is a lesbian director whose movies are made with depth, compassion and realism. Still, her movies along with most other lesbian movies are not seen as mainstream, due to the fact that the female protagonists enter into relationships with each other. This is even, may I add, when the main characters do not identify themselves as ‘lesbian’. Regardless of the fact that the stories are moving, poignant and well told, it appears that movies like Conn’s cannot be placed into ‘romantic’ movie categories, yet instead are in the lesbian/gay movie categories. Are movies about women who fall in love not about romance as well?

I have never once seen a lesbian movie at the cinema. I have never once had anyone who is not a lesbian recommend a lesbian movie to me. And I have never once just stumbled upon a lesbian movie. Why is this? This is because these movies are not seen as ‘regular’ movies to be staged in cinemas or viewed by ‘normal’ people. It is true to say that I cannot imagine a group of straight friends watching a romantic lesbian comedy together for a ‘girlie’ night in. At the same time, my lesbian friends and I can happily watch ‘straight’ romantic comedies.

This needs to change. Lesbians are not all porn stars without deep multi-faceted relationships. In fact, in my experience, ‘straight’ couples could learn a great deal from lesbian relationships!This is why I firmly support Nicole Conn’s new project to help find the next lead in her movie. This project is unique in a number of ways. It allows all women of all sexualities the opportunity to star in her movie.
Plus by offering both professionals and non-professionals a chance to audition, it spreads the word further still. In this way, I hope that it will raise awareness of lesbian movies within all sectors of the community.I am delighted to be working with Nicole Conn and her production company to help find her next star. Anyone can apply and what is more they can video audition right on my site too.

So let’s get lesbian movies on the main screen away from the dark alleys of marginalisation towards the light of mainstream Hollywood.

 

by Juliette Prais  (Creator of Pink Lobster Dating: Lipstick Lesbian Catch)