While the city of L.A. continues to figure out how to enforce a mandatory condom law for location porn shoots in town, the entire county of L.A. is poised to overshadow that rule with a November vote on condoms in adult video.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation late yesterday announced that its ballot initiative to require condoms at all porn productions in the county has been approved and will share space on the ballot with the heated presidential race of 2012. According to the AHF …

… it has submitted, with the help of its partner in crime, FAIR (For Adult Industry Responsibility), more than 360,000 signatures to the county in support of placing the matter before voters. That's way more than it needed.

The group says it learned late Tuesday that the initiative was approved for the Nov. 6 ballot in L.A. County.

Here's the heart of what the law would do if you approve it:

Porn stars at the AVN Awards.; Credit: Nate 'Igor' Smith

Porn stars at the AVN Awards.; Credit: Nate 'Igor' Smith

The measure would require use of condoms for all acts of anal or vaginal sex during the production of adult films, as well as the posting of the public health permit and notice to performers regarding condom use.

It would essentially require the county to permit and regulate porn productions the way it controls tattoo and massage parlors.

AHF chief Michael Weinstein was triumphant, stating:

We are extremely pleased to learn that our County of Los Angeles ballot measure to require adult film producers to obtain public health permits has successfully qualified for the November ballot, particularly as that is also the presidential election and voter turnout is expected to be very high. This ordinance, modeled after the County's similar health permitting process for tattoo and massage parlors and bathhouses, should go a long way to improve safety on the sets for adult film performers.

The organization will celebrate by giving interviews to the media all day.

The mostly L.A.-based industry has opposed mandatory condoms, arguing that its once-a-month testing for performers works and that consumers don't want to see prophylactics in their porn.

Despite the city law and state and federal mandates regarding condoms, the business has so far resisted the efforts to require the protection.

AHF has spearheaded the movement to make condoms a necessary part of porn.

See also:

*Porn Defends the Money Shot.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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