The County of Los Angeles Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act, Measure B is on the November 6, 2012 ballot in the County of Los Angeles, California. If voters approve Measure B, porn actors will be required to wear condoms. Members of the porn industry have threatened to leave California if the measure passes.
Those in support of Measure B include:
-- Michael Weinstein, President of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation
-- Darren James and Derrick Burts. James and Burts are former porn performers. They both contracted HIV while working in the adult entertainment business. They are featured in two 30-second commercials that support Measure B.
-- Shilpa Sayana, MD MPH, Director of Global Quality Management/HIV Care Provider for AHF
-- Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Director, Public Health Division, AHF
-- The Los Angeles County Medical Association
-- Pink Cross Foundation
Those against Measure B include:
-- "No to Government Waste Committee" is the official campaign committee opposing Measure B.
-- The Free Speech Coalition
-- The San Fernando Valley Industry and Commerce Association
-- The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times opposes Measure B: "Measure B is well intentioned, but it is likely to stymie county government and bring little benefit to performers."
-- The editorial board of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune
-- The editorial board of the Long Beach Press-Telegram
AVN investigated to see what Measure B really says about condoms and the adult industry.
Here's what they found:
If one looks at the propaganda that's been floated over the internet during the past month or so, it's clear that some people, even members of the adult industry, don't have a clear understanding of what Measure B will require performers to wear during on-camera sex acts... so let's go right to the sources and see what the real story is.Let's start with how the LA County Official Sample Ballot and Voting Instructions booklet describes Measure B: "Shall an ordinance be adopted requiring producers of adult films to obtain a County public health permit, to require adult film performers to use condoms while engaged in sex acts, to provide proof of blood borne pathogen training course, to post permit and notices to performers, and making violations of the ordinance subject to civil fines and criminal charges?"
Seems simple enough: Performers have to wear condoms while performing sex acts—and of course, that's true as far as it goes. But then, people who believe that's all there is to it haven't read Measure B in its entirety, and although there are many things wrong with the measure, the focus of this article is on condoms—and what the Official Sample Ballot says is a lie by omission—as is the "Official Title and Summary" of what's called the "County of Los Angeles Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act," Measure B's proper name.
So let's sum up, then, shall we? Does Measure B require performers to use condoms? You bet it does! But because Measure B requires that, in order for companies to keep their public health permits, they must also follow all of the regulations of California Code of Regulations Title 8, Section 5193, performers on adult movie sets must also use "[latex] gloves, face shields or masks and eye protection [goggles]" and any other personal protective equipment (like, for instance, dental dams) that prevents the blood or OPIM from reaching an employee's "undergarments, skin, eyes, mouth or other mucous membranes" like their eyes or nose—and considering that most adult performers are nearly or completely naked when performing, about the only "personal protective equipment" that truly satisfies the requirements of Title 8, Sec. 5193 are hazardous material—or "hazmat"—suits.
If you are curious to know what a porn production would look like after Measure B passes, porn performers Jessica Drake and James Deen created the following video:
The full text of Measure B can be found HERE.
~Papi Chulo~
