Consistent with the legitimization of a sexualized culture, the Los Angeles City Council voted 9-1 to require pornographic sex performers to use condoms. In response, porn producers are threatening to relocate their commercial enterprises to other states with less government regulations -- taking their billions of ill-gotten gains with them.
For background, read California Wants Improved Occupational Health in Porn Industry and also read Porn Advocates Perplexed re: STD Transmission as well as Porn Stars' STDs Blamed on County Health Officials
UPDATE 2/15/16: Failed HIV Test on Gay Porn Star Causes Multiple Infections
UPDATE 8/21/12: Syphilis scare halts porn industry filming in LA as health officials investigate
UPDATE 7/5/12: LA voters will decide porn condom requirement in November 2012
UPDATE 2/21/12: Pornographers face March 5th condom deadline
-- From "Los Angeles mandates porn stars wear condoms" by Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters 1/18/12
The move comes amid persistent questions about how to enforce the health measure, which backers say will protect performers in the multibillion-dollar porn industry from contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Producers complain the sight of a condom in a sex scene turns off consumers of their videos.
. . . passage made the city the first in the nation to impose such a requirement. Most of the U.S. porn industry is based in Los Angeles.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA) already requires porn performers to wear barriers, such as condoms, when they are in contact with bodily fluids.
But enforcement has been a challenge for the state. For one, the Cal-OSHA requirement is not specifically aimed at adult films, and it is openly violated within the industry . . .
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Condoms in porn: Government should not intrude, group says" by Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times 1/18/12
A porn industry representative said Tuesday she opposed Los Angeles City Hall's efforts to require condoms on porn performers, calling it an unnecessary intrusion. The group did not rule out lawsuits or other measures to fight the measure.
"We're looking at all of our options and talking to the industry heads," said Diane Duke, of the San Fernando Valley-based Free Speech Coalition, a porn industry lobbying group. "The government is intruding into the sexual behavior of consenting adults."
Duke said Tuesday that another reason is that some porn performers prefer to not use condoms, saying "it's really hard on their bodies" during lengthy, grueling shooting schedules. "It's very different on a set … We're in favor of choice for performers." AIDS Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein said there are many performers who do want mandatory condoms, such as Jenna Jameson, and that condoms are consistently used in gay porn.
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From "Porn industry could leave LA if condoms required" by The Associated Press, USA TODAY 1/18/12
"It's going to be interesting to see how in fact they do try to enforce it and who's going to fund it, and all of the time and effort they're going to spend," said Steven Hirsch, co-founder and co-chairman of Los Angeles-based Vivid, one of the largest makers of erotic movies.
"The only thing that the city could potentially achieve is losing some film permit money and driving some productions away, but you can't actually compel an industry to create a product that the market doesn't want," said Christian Mann, general manager of Evil Angel, another of the industry's largest production companies.
[Veteran porn actress and producer Tabitha] Stevens said, she has worked both with and without condoms. Although she prefers to use condoms, acknowledging they do increase safety, she said the choice should be left up to the performers and not mandated by a government agency.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Pornography Unchecked by Obama Administration
