Liza Villamayor Starman

If you think you love someone because they’re “beautiful” or “giving” or “make you feel good” or some other self-serving pleasure, then you should realize: that’s not real love.

This sharing was so desperately vital for women and other marginalised people who’s sexualities are often overlooked or infantilised in media about sex in preference for the tastes of the traditional porn consumer — the straight white guy. Tumblr dismantled that. It allowed for sex in a space that didn’t feel like it was dominated by male desire. For many it was the first time they enjoyed porn (see the tumblr porn gif fan club). As young people on Tumblr we explored our exhibitionism on our own terms, often posting nudes and sex confessions not primarily for the consumption of men but often for the support and validation of our friends. It facilitated our experimentation in a self directed, self initiated way.

…er facet of our messy, millenial experience. We shared it, discussed it, debated it and curated it. Porn on Tumblr wasn’t treated as disposable, something just to be immediately purged from your browser history, but an aesthetic, artistic component of your page and your life, alongside your complementary colours of sunsets and song lyrics and personal posts. It was out in the open. It allowed you to become a collector of your own desires, displaying them a…