Dennis RomeroThe adult video industry and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation have been locked in a bitter battle over mandatory condoms in porn.
For the most part, the AHF has been winning, although enforcement of prophylactic rules in the city and county of L.A. has been elusive. Over the weekend the organization declared another victory:
The L.A.-based industry tried to stop the AHF from defending L.A. County's mandatory condom law for porn in court. A judge denied that attempt.
The county law, put on the ballot as a voter initiative by AHF and approved by voters in November, is being challenged by the industry as unconstitutional.
The industry argues that it would violate freedom of speech to tell filmmakers how their art should look by forcing condoms onto their visual palates, so to speak.
Credit: Ed Carrasco for LA Weekly
The county declined to defend the law, so AHF stepped in and said it would do so. The biz said AHF didn't have “standing,” in the case, that it had no business defending the people's law. The titans of adult video took the case to federal court.
U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson said no. AHF chief Michael Weinstein:
The pornographers' efforts to have us thrown out of this case has failed. Five individuals affiliated with AHF were the official proponents of Measure B. We drafted the language that would become Measure B, collected signatures to qualify the Measure for the November 2012 ballot, submitted the signatures for verification, raised funds, and drafted an argument for the appearance of the Measure on the ballot. We absolutely should be allowed as interveners in this case and applaud the court's ruling allowing us to remain so.
Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Dennis Romero on Twitter at @dennisjromero. Follow LA Weekly News on Twitter at @laweeklynews.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.