Sep 2, 2004 11:10 AM PDT    Text size: 

Rallying behind Los Angeles-based Rock the Vote, a non-profit group founded by a record executive in 1990 to encourage people, especially youths, to engage themselves in the political process and protect their free speech rights, IMPA and FSC have set up click-through voter registration pages on their sites that link to Rock the Vote.

Both IMPA and FSC are asking webmasters to include a code link on their sites, which can be obtained through both of their respective websites, that will also link through to Rock the Vote via the slogan: Defend Your Rights – Register and Vote!

IMPA and FSC are also asking webmasters to post information on the Rock the Vote drive on all boards and to forward the information to business associates. Additionally, they are asking that the adult community request that credit card processors include a similar statement and link in all confirmation emails to users.

"Now more than ever it is important for the industry to ban together to show lawmakers how many voters this industry deals with on a daily basis," said Spike Goldberg of Homegrown Video and co-founder of IMPA. "We're glad to be working together with the Free Speech Coalition on this adult industry issue."

As concern rises over the Bush administration's arsenal against the adult entertainment industry and with the Justice Department's recent push to tailor 2257 law to more specifically target online adult website owners, there is speculation that another term with George W. Bush as president could possibly cripple the online and offline adult industries.

"The last time we saw this level of attack against our industry, 30 of our colleagues were arrested for obscenity, lost their businesses and some even went to prison," said Kay Sunlove, interim executive director for FSC. "We must prevent this from happening again."

Both IMPA and FSC will monitor the number of click-throughs that end up on the Rock the Vote website in order to gauge whether their dual campaigns have been effective.

"It's clear to me after years in the industry, that many people are unaware of the risk and jeopardy that our own erotic rights are in," Sunlove said. "Other groups like the Adult Club Executives, Adult Sites Against Child Pornography and other folks really stepped up to the plate and made this all happen and we're just glad to be part of it."

ACE, the official trade group for adult strip club owners, started its rally in May for the offline industry by asking club owners to encourage their patrons to vote for anyone but President Bush.

"Make a difference, get out and vote," said Greg Clayman, president VS Media and secretary for IMPA.