Interview with Bren Ryder of Good Dyke Porn

Interview with Bren Ryder of Good Dyke Porn by Garnet Joyce

Bren Ryder, for those of you not in the know, is the creator of GoodDykePorn which is a porn site dedicated to, you guessed it, good dyke porn. What really makes her site stand out is the diversity of people involved, the broad definition of the word dyke, the complete control the actors have in making their own scenes, and the fact that she isn’t only behind the camera but actually takes part in the screwing in front of it as well. The last bit is a special treat for those of us who have spent any time fantasizing about this top butch seducing us. All of it though, is what contributes to Ryder being an ethical pornographer. I asked her about all this and more in my first interview for this brand spanking new column: Ethical Pornographer.

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Garnet Joyce: How and why did you decide to start Good Dyke Porn?

Bren Ryder: I didn’t see any porn images of queer women that interested me. I named the website Good Dyke Porn because it was common knowledge among lesbians that lesbian porn was bad lesbian porn. So, I felt compelled to contribute to changing that. As an independent filmmaker I decided to take the DIY approach and show what lesbians really do in bed.

GJ: How do you think Good Dyke Porn is different from other porn that is out there?

BR: It’s different in the sense that the women involved are actually queer and actually having sex the way they want to. But more importantly, it’s different because they created the scene for themselves. Whatever they want to do sexually, that’s what we do. That level of participation comes across on film as authenticity and that’s what I’m aiming for.

GJ: What do you think it means to be an ethical pornographer?

BR: To me, to be an ethical pornographer means to put the models first. It’s a big deal to reveal your naked body and express your sexuality on film. So, that needs to be acknowledged and appreciated. Some people are more comfortable about it than others but everyone gets the same treatment: financial compensation, safe and comfortable environment, 100% say on what they do and how they want themselves to be viewed. To me, being an ethical pornographer is all about integrity. It’s important to me that everyone involved fully understands what they are doing. That I am taking ownership of their image and what exactly they are signing when they sign the contracts. I offer everyone the option to change their mind at any time and to even take down their image if they so desire. This option hasn’t been exercised by anyone, yet, but they also need to understand that once it’s out there there’s no getting it back.

GJ: Do you consider yourself to be an ethical pornographer? If not, why not? If so, how do you follow through with your ethical standards? Is it ever difficult? What are some of the challenges you face?

BR: I definitely consider myself an ethical pornographer and I consider it an important aspect of my work. It’s not particularly difficult because I’m giving responsibility to the people who are choosing to be in the porn movie. It’s up to them to tell me what they want and how they want to do it. Although, one small challenge is that I can’t just simply cast two people who happen to be available to screw each other. I prefer to take more time and make sure people are compatible and on the same page as the other person regarding what they want to do for the scene.

GJ: How do you come up with ideas for shoots? How much do you let your actors contribute?

Geneva and Creme from GoodDykePorn.com

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BR: The actors are the creators for the shoot. Whenever I find people who want to do a shoot, I ask them what they want to do. It could simply be about the sex or if they have a fantasy they want to play out we’ll do that. Mostly we’ll come up with a context for the sex to be taking place, and then simply get it on. So there’s some collaboration there. But, once we have it all set up, I simply let the cameras roll and the actors do whatever they want to do. And if the people involved don’t usually have sex with each other, then it’s very important that each of them talk about their boundaries, likes and dislikes and specifically what they’d like to do sexually.

GJ: In looking around your website, I noticed that you have a lot of diversity in gender representation, size, and color. How do you find and choose your actors? Do you try to achieve that kind of diversity or does it just come naturally?

BR: I want to have as much diversity as possible. Diversity in actors and diversity in sex scenes. Everyone likes something different so I don’t judge anyone based on what I like. I’ve never turned anyone down because of their appearance or their choice of sexual expression. If someone doesn’t like it then they don’t have to watch it. But, I’m sure plenty more will love it. In the end, though, I don’t have much say in “getting” diversity. Finding people who are willing to have sex on camera is hard enough, especially when they don’t see themselves as fitting the conventional image of a porn star. I take whatever I can get. If you are some variation of a queer woman and are willing to have sex on camera, then you’re hired.

GJ: How do you think performing in your own films contributes to creating ethical pornography?

BR: I don’t think you have to perform to be an ethical pornographer, because some people just can’t do it and that’s fine. But, for me, I felt like it was important to put myself in that position so I could live my own philosophy. Sex is beautiful. Women are beautiful. Our bodies are worth celebrating. I’m not an exhibitionist and I definitely feel more comfortable behind the camera, but if I truly believe there is no shame in revealing our sexuality then why not show it. Plus, I work for cheap. 🙂

GJ: Do you think that mainstream porn can be ethical? If not, why not? If so, how and is anyone making it?

BR: Definitely. It’s all about the people who are in it. Gender and sex are complex so it wouldn’t happen over night, but I think it has to. Sometimes, I wonder why I call what I do by the same words as what I see in mainstream porn. It seems so different. But, in time, through education and customer demand I hope all porn is ethical and even celebrated rather than shameful (for both the actor and the viewer).

GJ: And finally, if you could give just one piece of advice to an aspiring ethical pornographer, what would it be?

BR: Be open. Listen to the actors. And always have all participants’ best interests in mind.

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Thank you to Bren Ryder for being our first Interview with Garnet Joyce in her new column here on PMCR- Ethical Pornographer.

Images courtesy of Bren Ryder and GoodDykePorn