(Editor's note: Links in this story that are not safe for work are marked NSFW.)

When was the last time you tuned in to the dialogue while watching porn? If you're deaf or hard of hearing, maybe never.

While many a hearing person has muted a porn video, it's nice to have a choice about what you want to hear – or see – and what you don't. Deaf Bunny (NSFW), the first deaf-owned and deaf-staffed porn company, launched in August with the mission of making porn accessible to deafies and their hearing partners in as many forms as possible.

Through subtitles, sign language, cartoonish thought bubbles, full audio and blatant use of technology, anyone can understand the complex plot and tangled relationships portrayed in the company's first DVD release, Naughty Deaf Roommates.

I caught up with Deaf Bunny founder Dino Capone by e-mail to find out what makes deaf porn unique, how his company educates while it entertains, and what hearing people can learn about sex by watching deaf porn actors.

Wired News: Hearing and non-hearing partners can both understand the dialogue in Deaf Bunny productions, but what are the performers saying? Many hearing folks mute the sound on porn.

Dino Capone: Deaf Bunny's playmates have lots to say in the movies! First of all, deaf people value ASL (American Sign Language) and "deaf culture" as a key component to their identities. When deaf people get together, it's an opportunity to share, interact and express themselves, either sexually or platonically. The dialogue in our movies represents all the emotions, facial expressions and sexual gratification that the playmates are experiencing. We embrace the importance of allowing our viewers full access to everything that is said in our movies.

WN: You use deaf performers to create adult entertainment for an audience that includes deaf, hard of hearing (HH) and hearing people. What is unique about the performers' interaction that viewers won't find in mainstream porn?

Capone: Deaf Bunny uses deaf and HH actors and actresses primarily to connect with the majority of the viewers, who are deaf and HH. ASL is the common thread of the deaf community and the social behaviors – such as eye contact, body language, facial expressions and vocals (deaf people are loud!) – are unique to our culture. You won't find that in mainstream adult movies.

WN: How has the internet affected sexual education, experience and health among the deaf and hard of hearing?

Capone: Deaf and HH people are very visually inclined, for obvious reasons, and the internet allows for their visual needs to be met through the use of ASL and subtitles.

WN: Have you encountered resistance in marketing the combination of porn with what used to be considered a disability? In the internet/mobile-device age, does deafness count as a disability for porn?

Capone: The fact that we are marketing porn with a "disability" actually invites people to discover what we're about. We are reaching out to a population that has encountered many obstacles in using media sources, and we function as a link for the deaf community to the adult entertainment industry as well as (to) hearing people.

WN: What can hearing people learn about sexuality from Deaf Bunny movies or deaf folks in general?

Capone: Hearing people will, first and foremost, understand that deaf people can do just about anything, except hear. We want to expose the mainstream to our language, our use of technology (relay services, captioners, etc.) and to the sexual activities in the movies – the importance of eye contact, facial expressions and body language while engaging in sex acts. We hope to help hearing people in their own relationships with either a deaf or hearing partner and perhaps instill an appreciation that people with disabilities are just like everyone else!

WN: Deaf Bunny tries to provide education as well as entertainment. Do you think adult sex ed can reach people better than traditional sex ed?

Capone: Deaf Bunny educates viewers in using ASL and provides full access to information. Our general manager has an advice column, "Ask Shania" (NSFW), which offers feedback in a variety of topics, ranging from relationships to personal health. Deaf Bunny provides deaf and HH viewers a resource to explore and learn about sexuality in a positive and healthy way.

WN: You just launched a few months ago and have a lot of plans for expansion. What's next?

Capone: We're developing more websites and more movies. We have several new cast members for our third main movie (as we also feature "deaf amateurs" movies) at the end of January, and we're going to announce the 2009 New Year's Eve bash sometime in May. Also, we are working on Deaf Strippers (NSFW), which will enable members to locate deaf strippers at each venue or on tour.

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As for the reaction to Deaf Bunny's offerings among the deaf community, my friend Kathryn Hill, author of the deaf-tech blog Stone Deaf Pilots, pretty much sums it up: "So that's what they talk about in porn. Huh."

See you in a fortnight,

Regina Lynn

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Regina Lynn likes to hear the sex sounds in porn but could do without the soundtrack. She blogs, silently, at reginalynn.com.

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