Pornhub's new 'Sapphic' site, launched to cater to queer women, has been met with skepticism from critics who argue it fails to address the platform's deep-rooted issues with exploitation and non-consensual content. Writer Sharan Dhaliwal shares her experience searching for lesbian porn on Pornhub, only to encounter videos that felt like conversion therapy rather than authentic queer content.
A Troubling Search
Dhaliwal describes typing 'lesbian sex' into Pornhub, hoping to find women-only content, but instead being confronted with actresses pretending to be gay and then 'turned' by male performers. She likens this to conversion therapy, leaving her disgusted rather than satisfied. The launch of Pornhub Sapphic, she says, is unlikely to improve the situation.
Criticism of the New Site
While Pornhub's VP of Brand and Community, Alex Kekesi, claims the site was created in response to feedback from lesbian, queer, and straight women, Dhaliwal remains unconvinced. She notes that the content appears to feature the same mainstream porn stars, now pretending to be lesbians, rather than offering ethical or feminist adult content that already exists outside the mainstream.
UN experts recently reported large-scale sexual exploitation of women and girls facilitated by Pornhub and its parent company, highlighting a pattern of abuse across user-generated platforms. Dhaliwal points to leaked internal documents showing that Pornhub had 706,000 videos flagged for rape or child sexual abuse still available on the site, with employees casually discussing the disturbing material.
Women's Needs Dismissed
Despite 38% of Pornhub's global audience being women, and 'lesbian' being the most viewed category among them, Dhaliwal argues that the platform is designed for men. She contrasts Pornhub with ethical queer porn sites like The Crash Pad Series and Aorta Films, which offer female-centered, educational, and cinematic content that respects performers and viewers alike.
A Performative Move
Dhaliwal concludes that Pornhub Sapphic is merely a marketing ploy to monetize exploitation by tapping into different communities. She urges viewers to seek out existing quality sapphic porn rather than supporting a platform that profits from abuse. 'I for one will not be clicking any video on that website any time soon,' she states.
