Dennis RomeroDo you want to force porn stars in this, the adult video capital of the nation, to use condoms on-the-job? It's a question you might be asked the next time you vote in a citywide election in Los Angeles.
That's because AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has been at war with the Valley-based porn industry over condoms, says its launching a campaign to get mandatory condoms on a city ballot.
The idea, according to AHF:
… Allow Los Angeles voters to weigh in on a measure that would formally condition the issuance of adult film permits by the City of Los Angeles to condom use in adult films shot and produced in Los Angeles, including collection of a fee from adult film permit recipients to allow for periodic inspections of sets in order to monitor for compliance.
It will start with a signature gathering campaign called 'For Adult Industry Responsibility' (FAIR), according to AHF.
Porn star Jutine Joli, via her website.
AHF president Michael Weinstein:
At present, animals working in film & TV productions in Los Angeles enjoy more safety and health protections than adult film performers do. There are laws and state statutes to protect adult performers–but there is no real enforcement. Fair is fair: these performers deserve the health and safety protections already afforded them under existing law.
The porn industry has resisted condoms because, its leaders say, people won't buy condom porn and production will just move out-of-state to places that are less safe.
The Valley-based adult biz relies on a once-a-month testing system that has performers show up with a clean bill of health. Industry leaders say it works and that forcing the industry to less-regulated locales would be suicidal for health and business. Porn is a multi-billion-dollar industry.
However, even with the monthly testing system, if a porn star had unprotected sex the night before a shoot, he could still show up with a clean ticket and a bad bug.
AHF notes that HIV outbreaks have happened in recent years, and it wants to prevent that.
Complicating all this: The state says law already mandates condoms, but that it doesn't have the resources to enforce the rule. The city of L.A. has said it too could enforce condoms as part of its porn permitting process but that the LAPD has better things to do.
Now AHF wants to force the city to create prophylactic police, and this initiative might find a way to pay for it (through extra permit fees).
Weinstein:
All levels of government need to be involved in this workplace safety–State, City, County, Federal & local municipal bodies–including in the albeit non-traditional workplaces: the porn sets located throughout the San Fernando Valley that churn out billions of dollars of adult fare each year that violates state health statutes and puts performers at risk. To date, the City of Los Angeles and the City Council have been unwilling or unable to put forth a motion tying adult film permits to condom use in the productions, or County, to enforce state statutes. This is why we have spearheaded this ballot initiative: so the people–the voters in Los Angeles–may decide on this important health and safety issue affecting adult film performers.
AHF leaders and a handful of ex-porn stars, including a couple who are HIV positive, will make the announcement about its forthcoming initiative at a 10 a.m. press conference in Universal City today. AHF is calling the proposed ordinance the “City of Los Angeles Safer Sex In The Adult Film Industry Act.”
They have 120 days to gather 41,138 valid signatures from city voters to qualify for the June, 2012 ballot.
[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.