Santa Monica Democratic Club members voted last night to endorse Prop. 60 in a major coup for the campaign to strengthen enforcement of existing health and safety rules that require porn performers to wear condoms during explicit sex scenes to protect them from sexually transmitted diseases.
“This endorsement from a very active and influential Democratic club is a big boost for the campaign,” said Rick Taylor, chief strategist for the Yes on 60 campaign. “Protecting workers’ health and safety from greedy bosses is what Democrats are all about. And the club’s rank and file were solid Democrats last night.”
The club met to vote on whether to endorse, oppose or take no position on nearly two dozen state and local measures on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Members voted to support the recommendations of the club’s Executive Committee on all of the statewide measures, except Prop. 60, which the Executive Committee had urged its members to oppose.
The real drama was the debate over Prop. 60.
Los Angeles City Health Commission President Susie Shannon and a representative of the Yes on Prop. 60 campaign presented a spirited defense of Prop. 60 as Deana Igelsrud, a member of the County Democratic Party Central Committee, argued for the members to vote to oppose Prop. 60.
Ms. Shannon talked about the dangerous health consequences suffered by young female porn performers when producers refuse to follow the rules requiring them to make sure their performers wear condoms. Most porn producers simply ignore the condom use rule. They dare Cal/OSHA, the state’s workplace health and safety watchdog, to catch them.
“The negative health impacts of not wearing condoms falls especially heavily on the young women in the industry and they can be devastating,” Ms. Shannon told the Club members.
A Prop. 60 campaign representative argued before the audience of nearly three dozen Santa Monica Democratic activists that Prop. 60 is a workplace safety issue, and that the industry is unlikely to set up shop outside California if Prop. 60 passes.
The condom use rule is a federal law, good in all 50 states. Porn film production is legal only in California and New Hampshire.
“The porn industry is not going to Nebraska and Kansas,” said a campaign spokesperson. “No way. California will always be the best place for this industry.”
Prop. 60 seeks to close legal loopholes used by the adult entertainment industry to circumvent the condom rule.
Prop. 60 was written with input from performers and Cal/OSHA officials frustrated by porn industry evasions.
Mr. Schwada may be contacted at john.schwada@gmail.com
