The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is hoping to get enough signatures on a petition to put the issue of condom use in porn to the voters of Los Angeles for June 2012, AVN reported yesterday. If the measure is approved by voters, all porn productions will be required to use condoms in order to gain permits to film in LA.
Quoting the Los Angeles Times, AVN says that the petition will require at least 41,138 signatures, which amounts to “15 percent of votes cast in the last mayoral election,” and they have to get them by Dec. 23.
Three supporters of the initiative, AIDS Healthcare Foundation president Michael Weinstein, and adult performers Derrick Burts and Darren James, who contracted HIV while working on films, were interviewed for the Times story (AVN notes that no one opposing the initiative was interviewed). Weinstein said this is the first time the initiative has gone before the public.
“We’d rather take our chances with the electorate than with the cowardly political establishment. In the '80s, we didn’t consider gay men’s lives expendable. We don’t consider the thousands of people who we treat in Africa expendable. And we don’t think performers should be treated that way. The message that goes out that ‘unsafe sex is hot’ is unacceptable,” he told the paper. The AHF will hold a press conference on the issue today.
Well, we’ve seen different ways people have of putting condoms on different things—penises, demo bananas—but never a ballot.
Quoting the Los Angeles Times, AVN says that the petition will require at least 41,138 signatures, which amounts to “15 percent of votes cast in the last mayoral election,” and they have to get them by Dec. 23.
Three supporters of the initiative, AIDS Healthcare Foundation president Michael Weinstein, and adult performers Derrick Burts and Darren James, who contracted HIV while working on films, were interviewed for the Times story (AVN notes that no one opposing the initiative was interviewed). Weinstein said this is the first time the initiative has gone before the public.
“We’d rather take our chances with the electorate than with the cowardly political establishment. In the '80s, we didn’t consider gay men’s lives expendable. We don’t consider the thousands of people who we treat in Africa expendable. And we don’t think performers should be treated that way. The message that goes out that ‘unsafe sex is hot’ is unacceptable,” he told the paper. The AHF will hold a press conference on the issue today.
Well, we’ve seen different ways people have of putting condoms on different things—penises, demo bananas—but never a ballot.
I in part agree on this... but I also don't couldn't you always say no to performing if you don't think it's safe? or if no one else is tested? I mean yes you might lose some money but wouldn't it be better off? I know a bunch of porn wouldn'y be the same without creampies lol but i also think the condoms would make it safer hmmm :/
i watched a short thing on the porn industry once, & all the actors they interviewed said they were required to get tested before they were signed on.
It can take someone six months or longer to test positive for HIV after they contract it. During that time they can be spreading the virus to countless others while believing they are clean. I think having condom use in porn would not only be safer for the performers, but it would also send a positive message about safe sex to young people. Today with STD infection and teen pregnancies climbing I think we need to send a positive message about safe sex and the porn industry is a powerful platform with which to do so. People have the right to do what they want with their bodies, but I think when faced with potentially deadly consequences we need to begin to look at the bigger picture. Profits are not worth death.