LOS ANGELES — The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has issued an update to last week's announcement that an emergency fund would be activated to assist all adult industry workers with their expenses during the current production hold.
The full text of the FSC's statement follows:
The FSC Emergency Fund has been activated to help talent and crew who can’t work during the COVID-19 production hold. To date, we have received over 300 applications from talent and crew, with more coming in. We will start disbursing funds by April 1.
How can I help?
If you don’t need funds, but would like to donate, please do so here.
What’s happening with my application?
We have already started verifying the first 300 applicants. This is what the verification process looks like:
- Verify that talent is in PASS
- If not in PASS, verify that talent worked on gay or trans sets that used alternate testing protocols or safer sex practices
- Verify that crew worked on PASS-regulated sets
- If not on PASS-regulated sets, verify that crew worked on gay or trans sets that used alternate testing protocols or safer sex practices
We have already verified all PASS talent — about 230 people — and are working to verify an additional 70 applicants who are crew and non-PASS talent. The latter takes a bit longer as it involves checking the production references provided. The speed with which we are able to approve and verify depends on our ability to reach those references.
How do you decide who gets money?
Based on the number of applications, the amount of available funds, and the amount of expected funds, we believe we will be able to give all eligible applicants $300 each.
How do you decide who gets paid first?
Because many crew don’t have alternative revenue streams (like camming or clips) available to them, we have prioritized eligible crew applicants in the first round of disbursements. Approximately 60 crew members applied for aid so far.
For talent, we are using a combination of factors to determine who is included in the first round of disbursements and who will be included in subsequent rounds. These factors include:
- Recency and frequency of testing in PASS
- Date of application
- Financial need
We have a wide and diverse performer community, ranging from amateur couples and new models to contract stars. We view all as equal and are working hard to make sure we take care of the entirety of our community.
When will I receive a check?
We will start sending checks by April 1. However, we will need to contact each person individually to confirm payment details.
We are disbursing $30,000 each round, so the first 100 people will receive $300 this week.
We are already halfway to the next $30,000, and are on track to disburse $300 payments to another 100 people next week. After that, we will continue to pay 100 people each time we raise another $30,000.
Can I apply more than once?
Yes. However, since we have received more applications than we currently have funds for, we won’t be accepting applications for additional funds until we have paid all eligible applicants at least once. We will inform you when you are eligible to apply for additional funds and provide a new application form. Do not submit more than one application now.
What if I have another question?
Email us at emergencyfund@freespeechcoalition.com
If you live in the L.A. area and need food, My Pure Life Foods is providing 25 food assistance packages to members of the adult industry. Each package contains food for 10 meals for the week (protein, carb, vegetable). For more information, contact Joshua Phelps at info@mypurelifefoods.com.
