It’s time to strap it up in Los Angeles, as City Council officials have approved a city ordinance requiring porn actors to wear condoms during film shoots.
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The 9-to-1 vote was a victory for the L.A.-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has been rallying for years to protect the health of porn performers by asking agencies in California to mandate condom use during film shoots.
In the past decade, porn shoots have been suspended several times following high-profile cases where porn performers have been infected with HIV.
Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation told the L.A. Times:
“It’s a great day for the performers and safer sex in our society. This is the first legislative body to take up the issue and the near-unanimous support is very gratifying.”
Councilman Paul Koretz added:
“Personally at every opportunity I have to do anything to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, I always take that opportunity. I think there’s no doubt: the voters would see this as a common sense issue and pass it.”
Of course porn industry advocates were furious at the vote. Diane Duke of the lobbying group Free Speech Coalition said:
“This is government overreach. It’s not about performer health and safety, it’s about government regulating what happens between consenting adults.”
The porn industry has policies in place already requiring performers to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases a minimum of every 30 days when they are working.
They say no cases of HIV have been directly linked to porn films since 2004, adding they fear if the industry scatters to areas outside of Los Angeles, testing could fall by the wayside, exposing performers to more risk.
It’s an ongoing discussion in L.A. but for now, score one for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
