Assemblyman Asks Porn Industry To Use 'Protection'

WEST HOLLYWOOD, California (AP) -- A state assemblyman has asked the adult entertainment industry to adopt safe-sex measures or face the possibility of a law that would compel performers to use condoms.

Assemblyman Paul Koretz, chairman of the Labor and Employment Committee, said adult film stars should receive workplace health and safety protections like other Californians.

"I strongly encourage and fully expect the adult entertainment industry to require the use of condoms," said Koretz, a Democrat from West Hollywood, in a letter mailed to 185 porn producers and publishers last Monday. "Failure to do so is irresponsible and invites the Legislature to exercise its authority to mandate more stringent actions."

Koretz's comments follow a recent HIV scare that prompted producers to stop filming for a few weeks. Two actors tested positive for the virus.

"I don't think it's the place of the authorities to decide whether the (actors) are to use condoms or not," said Lexington Steele, president of Mercenary Pictures, who, like many other producers, opposes mandating condom use.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/08/2....ap/index.html

Needless to say, many of the primarily straight dominated message boards this news peice has been posted on have condemned the idea that using condoms and other forms of 'protection' in adult movies is absurd.

Whilst i can appreciate that many of the sites being marketed towards surfers who want 'cum guzzling sluts' and the likes may be affected by this i for one wouldnt mind seeing those types of sites disappear.

What are your views on this?

Personally, given the recent HIV / AIDS scare in the adult industry several months ago i think this is a good idea. Basically, it is telling the adult industry to grow up and use common sense otherwise the government may introduce regulations making sure that protection is used.

I dont know about anyone else but promoting safe sex is something that i feel we should do be doing our part towards in the adult industry.

On the same note i also realize that barebacking is something that surfers gay and straight do get off on, hell even some webmasters get off on it to, but by at least partially taking this advice where the shoot isnt being marketed to those niches and actually using condoms it is going to give the message that as an industry, we do care not only about the health of our talent but also of our target audience.

Just my $0.02 on the topic.

Regards,

Lee

Does the lack of condoms in a film really promote unsafe sex? Does violence in film really incite someone to commit murder? I'm not sure, it doesn't impact my decisions. But, it does scare me that our government would decide for us what we're allowed to create or consume.
The actors involved in the "AIDS scare" were straight actors. Most of the gay porn industry have been using condoms since the late 80's. I have heard many of the studios that specialize in barebacking films are treated as pariahs by those who choose to do the more socially-conscience films.

Legislating safe sex will only heighten the appeal of bareback sex (and sites offering it). Back in the early 90s the Canadian government tried to make us quit smoking by raising the price of a pack of cigarettes to over $6.00. So, entrepreneurs went to the Indian Reservations, bought the cigs cheap, and sold them on the black market for $3.00 a pack.

I feature a number of barebacking galleries on my site, I also feature a link to a discussion about bareback sex, HIV transmission, and using condoms, as well as links to a number of AIDS service organizations around the world.

I understand where you're coming from, Lee. If we promote sites where people are getting beat up and then fucked, somehow that sneaks out to the public consciousness that it's okay. But we've proved time and again that legislating certain kinds of behaviour often just empowers the underground community to supply it.

Talk, talk, talk. That's the key to safer sex. People need to talk about it and hear about it. Ultimately, everyone makes up their own minds about their safer sex practices based on a whole bunch of things.

And legislating one element of the sexual act could lead us down the slippery slope towards a stronger censorship. If we pass this one, what's to stop another assemblyman from deciding that something else should be illegal.

Cheers
Dzinerbear

hey, other people aren't required to use condoms. no one group of people should be forced to do what other people don't have to - that's bullshit. there are other groups out there who have far higher numbers and percentages of hiv positive people, but no one is legislating them.

on the other hand, does bareback porn encourage unsafe sex? i am going to risk being unpopular here by saying yes, it does. people with addictions or strong impulses are strongly visually triggered. the straight men i know barely use condoms now - and with very little encouragement, will leave them off.

There is no question this is a deep and complicated subject. Each person must make their own decisions regarding behavior and conduct. However, the business end of this requires all of our attention.

If we aren’t very careful we’ll see OSHA step into all this. Looking at it logically and realistically, this can be a dangerous business. The activities involved can lead to various forms of illnesses. This is not unusual or unheard of in various businesses though. The key is taking proper precautions to prevent injury or illness. It’s not enough for a construction site foreman to say that his workers have agreed not to wear hard hats because they don’t like them. It’s a requirement.

This “safety first” policy holds on my sets. The reasons are immediate to me. The lives and health of my models is paramount. My concern for those who watch my films cannot be ignored. And we have an opportunity to change perceptions about what is erotic.

It’s unconscionable for producers to advocate endangering their models simply to make a profit. It’s indefensible to say that it’s ok because the models don’t WANT to wear condoms when you’re holding the checkbook and they know what you want.

Construction workers get paid a great deal of money to perform jobs that are dangerous and potentially hazardous to their health. The deal is that the contractor takes every precaution available to prevent accidents.

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Originally posted by basschick
...on the other hand, does bareback porn encourage unsafe sex? i am going to risk being unpopular here by saying yes, it does. people with addictions or strong impulses are strongly visually triggered. the straight men i know barely use condoms now - and with very little encouragement, will leave them off.

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Basschick, usually, it takes [at least] two people to have unsafe sex. I think it's each participants responsibilty to decide the risks they are willing to take. If the insertive partner thinks he's not going to use a condom, at least with this receptive partner, I think they may have a tired right hand. As the more(st) at-risk participant, I have at least as much responsibility to speak up.

I don't know, do you give a drowning man a gift certificate for swimming lessons or do you throw him a life preserver?

Seriously, I mean do we cater to the whims of the surfer simply to gain the added buck or do we do the right thing and promote safe sex?

Condoms aren't 100% safe but they are 100% better than nothing and I think to promote such unsafe practises only gives our enemies added ammunition to deny us equality.

Think back to that scare in the straight porn industry and how many at first assumed the guy had to be gay... just the stigma of AIDS makes everyone think of gays...

Do I want the government to legistlate it? No, but if the industry isn't going to promote it then what choice is there?

The argument that seeing such things doesn't increase or decrease irresponsible behaviour is like saying the car commercials don't sell cars, or that the ads for the latest hair care products doesn't make more people suddenly blonde. It does have an effect and if we want our own industry to survive, to be less of a target then perhaps we need to sometimes put responsibility before profits..

just my opinion
Ian

Well I know that as a pornographer I only want to show and promote safe sex. To show that using condoms is sexy and hot. If we do that for our own community then people like that cannot talk shit about us and say how irresponsible we are and that we promote unsafe sex practices.

Buck

Ian-


I understand your position, but the gay porn industry, in general, has been "promoting" safer sex for years. It has been and continues to be, the straight porn industry that overwhelmingly "promotes" glove-free sex.

But, to me, by definition, the porn industry promotes safe sex. I don't usually watch porn on a date. It fills a need (no pun intended), when I'm alone. The use of a condom, in a film, doesn't really spoil my fantasy, but I know that it does for a lot of people. In the U.S., we have been promoting safer sex for more than 20 years, if "they're" not going to get by now, I'm not sure that the appearance of a condom in a film is going to do for an adult.

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Originally posted by basschick

on the other hand, does bareback porn encourage unsafe sex? i am going to risk being unpopular here by saying yes, it does.

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of course it does. it's become a fad to fuck bareback. from chatting casually with people on the web, a lot have told me it's ok since the porn stars do it too. there also seems to be the prevailing thought having HIV is no big deal at all, you'll just get meds and all will be fine. then there are those who actually want to become HIV+ :wacko: and those who think they would absolutely won't get it or that it doesn't exist.

i think the gov't is really close to getting it's finger in the business. and if they succeed, i'd make a wild and plausible guess - look for barebacking to be on the list of things you shouldn't promote if you don't want agents at your door

I don't like it when a few lawmakers decide what is in everybody's best interest. I don't buy bareback porn, nor do I condone the production. I do get worried when a government body wants to tell producers that they Can't film something because it is unsafe -- we don't know what the next practice will be on the chopping block as too risky to film. We mostly all agree that condom use should be promoted within the industry itself. However, I don't like the idea of a LAW telling producers what sex practices can be filmed and what cannot be filmed. There is always a risk of transmitting SOMETHING during intimate contact,condom or not, so the only truly safe sex is solo. A porn world with nothing other than solos would be dull to say the least. Self-regulation is the best way to go, in my opinion.

I love how in California there is no consideration whatsoever about the state just imposing condom use for the purposes of "protecting public health" --- but I guess why not, there seem to be no limits to takings in that state. You know, just have the state mandate condom use all the time in all situations. That would greatly reduce the spread of STDs as well. And if it is for the benefit of public health, what wouldn't be a more noble cause?

What to pass a law? Let's call it a crisis.

You know, the advocates of the 21.06 sodomy law (now unconstitutional) in Texas frequently cited how anal sex allegedly spread STDs as well. [We want to outlaw sodmy because it spreads STDs... so they argue] I chuckle when I see West Hollywood democrats saying practically the same thing. The other side of the coin makes the same claims.

People grouse about social conservative Republicans dictating what they deem as proper behavior. Now I don't know this legislator - but the assemblyman from WEST HOLLYWOOD here is exhibiting identical behavior.

However, I'm sure that state legislator truly believes what he is doing is important and beneficial. But then under that logic so does Phyllis Schlafly, Jerry Falwell and others who find their remidies to protect the public from harm are equally worthwhile. However, I am certain that this guy will happily invoke the mean spirited religious right to scare us into giving him campaign money. (or shell out $$$ to HRC or other "good guy organizations") Then the Eagle Forum and Family Council people will invoke horrible threats from the gays to inspire their own fundraising for their groups.

And the beat goes on.

Steve

I'm a little confused by some of your opinions, it sounds as though you see the gay porn industry as predominately selling sex without condoms. I believe this is a small minority of mainstream studios, i.e. Colt, Falcon, Hot House, etc., etc. It is mainly straight films that are producing movies without condoms. I think our (the gay) community jumped on the condom bandwagon a long time ago. So, I think your preaching to the converted is a bit of a waste, if you're going to focus on convincing the portion of the industry that is not in sych with the times, I think it should be directed at the straight film producers.

Regardless of left, right or middle of the road, it really scares me to put the power of controlling this issue in the hands of any legislators. To a large extent, they have already done that in our personal lives in San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc. And, really with little success. Take away the doors & walls, turn up the lights, post condom police throughout the facility, people will still do what they want. I mean if the risk is your life, how do you think some jail time or a fine is going to be a motivator?

I think part of the answer is that the largest group (as far as age) is people under 30. Most of these people have never faced this disease in real terms. Where it was once front page news, you barely see a article in the news.

There are many producers of gay “bareback” pornos right now, and they are becoming a big seller. Make no mistake about it. I could list a large number of them, but I don’t really want to advertise who they are. But, I can assure you that their videos are in demand, and that demand is being met.

Here is something to think about: There are many producers who meet young men, exploit any weakness they discover (economics) or can encourage (drugs). They then manipulate these guys into performing any depraved act on film they think will make them a buck. They then turn the guys back on the street without a thought or care.

This sadly happens every day in this business. It’s up to every one of us to help stop this practice in any way we can. We must, as an industry, make sure our models and customers are treated with respect and with dignity. Until that happens, we’re headed on a self chosen road to disaster.

It’s NOT just about making money here today. We can likewise care for our society long term.

Re the Question: Does bareback porn encourage unsafe sex?

Regarding that - think of it this way --- the religious right and anti porn crusaders insist that *porn* encourages the spread of STDs. (not just barebacking... all porn across the board)

When folks simply bring up bareback sex, I think that is simply an ideological child of this parental thinking. In fact, some folks will say that gay sex in general ultimately means a diseased life of unhappiness.

So be very very careful what you say here. If you have a problem with bareback porn, then why is that? And if you are going to start creating arbitrary public health rules, then think a minute - are you advancing the claim that porn viewed by others as ultimately dangerous.

I'll put it another way ---- if teens see horror movies or violent movies or watch the Breakfast Club and see Anthony Michael Hall smoking pot in the high school library - do you feel this imagery will cause the teen audience to pick up this behavior? An entire ideology of Anti-Porn crusading and Family Values advocacy is built around this concept.

I understand all the hand wringing over the barebacking-in-porn issue. But just think about what this means. If you accept the logic that people will imitate what they see, then you have to agree that maybe the Religious Right's entire notion that porn is dangerous and a public health risk and a cause of divorce and a cause of the demeaning of women ---- you are giving all that weight.

I don't think we want to help that argument. Allow all people to follow their own happiness.

Steve

[ Gee it's the weekend. I really need to loosen up. ]

:specs: :specs:

There is little we can do to directly affect the activities of our viewers. However, we certainly have the ability to promote the feeling that safe sex is erotic.

In any case, we absolutely have direct control over the conduct and behavior of the models we employ. That is the issue I address.

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Originally posted by desslock
Re the Question: Does bareback porn encourage unsafe sex?

...I'll put it another way ---- if teens see horror movies or violent movies or watch the Breakfast Club and see Anthony Michael Hall smoking pot in the high school library - do you feel this imagery will cause the teen audience to pick up this behavior? An entire ideology of Anti-Porn crusading and Family Values advocacy is built around this concept....

I don't think we want to help that argument. Allow all people to follow their own happiness.

Steve

[ Gee it's the weekend. I really need to loosen up. ]

:specs: :specs:

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Steve, really well said!

Thanks