Porn Industry May Quit L.A. Over Condom Policy

Posted on Jan 19, 2012

Flickr / je@n (CC-BY)

We will do our utmost to report this story without cheesy double entendres. Here goes: Southern California is associated with various people, places and phenomena—Hollywood, spray tans and bottle blondes, beachside homelessness, that stretch of the 101 highway that’s always featured in car commercial, and porn, to name a few.

As for that last item on the list, creators of adult entertainment are threatening to decamp from the Greater Los Angeles area if local authorities get more nudgy about enforcing a requirement that porn actors sport prophylactics for their performances, which the City Council voted in favor of doing earlier in the week. Meanwhile, members of the industry say the rule isn’t necessary, since they already monitor their own with frequent and mandatory STD tests and the like.  —KA

AP via Huffington Post:

That effort took a serious leap forward Tuesday when the Los Angeles City Council voted 9-1 to grant final approval to an ordinance that would deny film permits to producers who do not comply with the condom requirement. The measure now goes to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for approval.

Before the measure can take effect, however, the council has called for the creation of a committee made up of police officials, the city attorney, state health officials and others to determine how it might be enforced.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how in fact they do try to enforce it and whose going to fund it and all of the time and effort they’re going to spend,” said Steven Hirsch, co-founder and co-chairman of Los Angeles-based Vivid, one of the largest makers of erotic movies.

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