PASADENA, Calif. — Adult industry publicist Mike Stabile and AIDS Healthcare Foundation Adam Cohen debated the imminent statewide condom ballot measure this morning on Los Angeles radio station KPPC.
The debate, lasting 18 minutes, was broadcast on Larry Mantle’s “Air Talk,” and included a number of callers.
Just yesterday, the AHF said it collected 557,136 signatures of registered voters in order to qualify for a statewide ballot initiative that would expand the power of Cal/OSHA and local California public health departments to enforce condom use on adult film sets throughout the state. The ballot measure is slated for the November 2016 general election.
The AHF, also yesterday, said it filed seven additional workplace safety complaints against porn producers with both Cal/OSHA and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for filming in the county without condoms.
Stabile, who said the adult industry hasn’t had an on-set transmission of HIV in more than 10 years, told listeners that because of the passage of Measure B filmmaking has primarily moved away — something that Cohen refuted, mentioning the seven AHF complaints made yesterday that, he says, show that porn still is being shot in the county.
“We’ve largely moved,” said Stabile, noting that many are choosing Las Vegas, Florida and New York to film productions. “I think there are some companies that film in L.A. But [the industry as a whole] is moving out from L.A.”
In objection to Measure B and the proposed statewide version, Stabile noted that condoms are not meant to be used for industrial use like in porn productions and can be very uncomfortable for performers.
“Performers have been overwhelmingly opposed to this,” said Stabile, who also is a Free Speech Coalition spokesman. “In reality, on a three-hour set for long periods of time, condoms are painful for performers.
“If performers were pushing for this it would be another matter, but performers have been at the forefront of saying, listen, we’re tested every 14 weeks for a full slate of STIs."
Equally troublesome, Stabile said the statewide condom proposal creates an enforcement instrument that allow private citizens — including AHF President Michael Weinstein — to finger offenders and bring them into court to face potentially thousands of dollars in fines.
“This is the most contentious issue right now because most performers are producers who do their own content, create cam shows and clips,” he said.
KPCC has created a web page with listener comments on the issue. The comments, as well as just-released audio, can be accessed here.
