Making a lesbian sex magazine in the age of feminist sex wars

An amazing panel of On Our Backs founders, photographers, and photo editors will discuss why photography was crucial to the magazine's success and generated the biggest criticisms. Why was the portrayal of women as they wanted to be portrayed radical? What were the driving forces behind making On Our Backs? Why was it controversial among feminists? What does the magazine mean to its makers now?

Panelists: Lulu Belliveau, Susie Bright, Phyllis Christopher, Morgan Gwenwald, Nan Kinney, Jill Posener, Deborah Sundahl, Jessica Tanzer. Moderator, Gayle Rubin.

This event is part of the Radical Desire Symposium celebrating the Library's exhibition "Radical Desire: Making On Our Backs Magazine" and the 30th and 50th anniversaries of Cornell's LGBT Studies and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies programs. Related event: The Feminist Sex Wars: A Retrospective by Gayle Rubin, April 27.

Attendees in person should come early to get a seat. This event will be in a classroom setting. Please adhere to Cornell University’s COVID-19 guidelines. Stay informed at covid.cornell.edu.

To attend the event virtually, register in advance at the link on the right.

Photo credit: Honey Lee Cottrell. Susie Bright in an On Our Backs t-shirt.