The magazine was first published in 1984 by Debi Sundahl and Myrna Elana, with the contributions of Susie Bright, Nan Kinney, Leon Mostovoy, Honey Lee Cottrell, Dawn Lewis, Shelby Sharie Cohen, Happy Hyder, Tee Corinne, Jewelle Gomez, Judith Stein, Joan Nestle, Patrick Califia,[2] Morgan Gwenwald, Katie Niles, Noreen Scully, Sarita Johnson, and many others.

Later editors included Diane Anderson-Minshall, Shar Rednour, Tristan Taormino, and Diana Cage.

On Our Backs defined the look and politics of lesbian culture for the 80s, as well as playing a definitive role in the feminist sex wars of the period, taking the side of sex-positive feminism.

[3] off our backs regarded the new magazine as "pseudo-feminist" and threatened legal action over the logo OOB.

It was meant to represent the perceived lesbian experience and political atmosphere in mainstream culture.