Here we are. Again.
I shot my first adult scene on Nov. 5, 2012. On Nov. 6, Measure B, the Los Angeles Porn Actors Required to Wear Condoms Act, passed. Since then, we — not just adult performers, but the business as a whole and those who support us — have been fighting back.
The enemy is the same, Michael Weinstein of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, but his strategy this time is so much worse. It leaves so much more at stake that more of us are speaking out than ever before. It’s Prop. 60, and it’s not about condoms anymore. Just like everything else having to do with Mr. Weinstein, it’s about money.
Let’s discuss.
Condoms are awesome. They are one of the few forms of birth control that protect against both pregnancy and STDs. When used correctly, they work at 96 percent efficacy. They have their place, but not on a porn set. When worn for long periods, condoms become painful and unreliable.
On the Yes on Prop. 60 website, there’s a lovely little graphic of a football helmet, a fire helmet, a hard hat, and a condom. “Every worker should be protected,” they say. I agree. I feel very blessed to live and work in a country with labor laws.
Here’s the thing: A lot of false data is out there. No matter what you’ve read, there has not been an on-set transmission of HIV in 10 years. Ask yourself, if someone got HIV on set, who did they get it from when no one else tested positive? If someone else had, these fear-mongerers would have let you know about it. Sure, we get gonorrhea and chlyamydia. We test every 14 days, and treat immediately.
Our testing system is fantastic. But even if we did need state-mandated condoms, this bill asks for so much more. That’s where it starts to not just overreach, but put us in harm’s way. This bill is dangerous to us and to California.
For more info about Prop. 60, see http://dontharassca.com/ and check out the hashtag #NoProp60 on social media.
A longer version of this essay originally appeared at www.HuffingtonPost.com
