A Short History of On Our Backs
The first issue of On Our Backs was published in 1984 by two enterprising lesbians, Debi Sundahl and Nan Kinney. The couple conceived of On Our Backs as a response (in part) to they anti-pornography platform of most lesbian and feminist organizations and media at the time. One of these publications was the feminist newspaper Off Our Backs, whose name became the butt of the joke embedded in Nan's and Debi's new title, On Our Backs: Entertainment for the Adventurous Lesbian. (Playboy's kicker "Entertainment for Men" supplied the model for the subtitle.) At the time, there were very few national magazines aimed at gay women, much less erotic publications by and about lesbians. Because of its novelty and editorial brilliance—famed "sexpert" Susie Bright joined On Our Backs with the second issue and Utne proclaimed it "one of the ten magazines to make a difference in the 1980s"—the magazine was a hit. It was also very controversial: many women's bookstores refused to carry it. The quarterly went bimonthly in 1989 and benefited from Debi's and Nan's other adult product lines, mainly Fatale Video, producer and distributor of lesbian adult videos. But in 1994 On Our Backs fell into financial difficulties and was sold; the new publisher came out with one more issue before declaring bankruptcy in 1995.

The following year H.A.F. Publishing outbid The Advocate for On Our Backs' assets and started publishing again in 1998. Continuing with the magazine's commitment to lesbian sexual diversity and empowerment—the magazine is the proud holder of four Vice Versa Sexcellence in the gay press, plus a "Best Skin Title" award from The Bay Guardian—in 2004 the company celebrated On Our Backs' 20th anniversary.