LOS ANGELES — AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), one of the state's leading public health and advocacy organizations, has announced its opposition to a pending ballot measure pertaining to adult film production in California. The controversial "Safer Sex in Adult Film Production Act" is awaiting approval to appear on November's ballot.
In its release, APLA states it is concerned that the initiative is so poorly drafted that it will "not protect performers." Instead, it will expose workers to lawsuits and relies on outdated public health approaches.
"APLA's opposition confirms just how oppressive and flawed this proposal is," said Eric Paul Leue, Chair of the Californians Against Worker Harassment committee that is opposed to the pending ballot initiative.
"This 'lawsuit bonanza' measure will allow performers to be sued by any resident of California just for working in a controversial industry," Leue added. "Who will be next?"
APLA joins a diverse group of opponents to the pending ballot measure, including the California Republican Party and the San Francisco Democratic Central Committee.
“No worker in any other industry will face this type of harassment from the public,” says Leue. “The initiative empowers stalkers, harassers, profiteers and crusaders, while leaving actual performers more vulnerable."
The Legislative Analyst’s Office, which evaluates ballot initiatives for fiscal impact, predicts the bill will cost California taxpayers tens of millions of dollars each year in lost revenue. For more information, visit APLA.org and FreeSpeechCoalition.com.
