Porn Actors, Pols Speak Against California Condoms Measure

Porn actors joined San Francisco Supervisors Jane Kim and Scott Wiener and others Tuesday to speak out against Proposition 60, the California ballot measure that would require condom use in adult films made in the state.

The porn industry, many HIV advocates, and others are working against the proposal, saying it would endanger performers' safety, among other problems.

The actress and producer who's known as Venus Lux said at the November 1 news conference that if Prop 60 passes, "My life, as well as my livelihood, will be severely at risk."

Among other provisions, the measure would also allow any California resident who complains to the California Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Occupational Safety and Health about a suspected violation to potentially file a civil action against an actor if he has a financial interest in the film and if the agency doesn't start an investigation within a certain time period.

Opponents fear that during such court proceedings, actors' addresses and other personal information would become public, possibly leading to harassment and physical violence.

Lux, who identifies as transsexual, said that she's received messages like "Fuck you faggot, go kill yourself," and if people had easy access to her private information, "I would truly fear for my life."

The Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is pushing Prop 60, was behind a similar law that passed in Los Angeles County in 2012. The nonprofit has spent more than $4.5 million to back the current measure, according to the secretary of state's office.

Wiener said Tuesday that Prop 60 would "enshrine into law" that condoms are the only appropriate tool for preventing HIV and would be "very dangerous" in terms of efforts to end HIV transmission.

He also said AHF President Michael Weinstein has been "absolutely obsessed with trying to delegitimize PrEP," a prevention tool that the gay supervisor has spoken publicly about using.

Supervisor Jane Kim, who's battling Wiener to win the state Senate seat being vacated by termed-out gay Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), said that as someone who's been in the public eye, "I know what it's like to be intimidated," and "I completely understand why this legislation is so dangerous."

Brad Hertz, an attorney representing the Prop 60 campaign, has said health care is AHF's mission, "specifically in the HIV and sexually transmitted disease area." He's called the fears of private information being made public "a red herring," and he's said publicizing that data could be blocked through protective orders.

Hertz has also said that state and federal law already mandates condoms be worn in porn, but Prop 60 is needed because current regulations "are not being enforced."

In its review of the proposal, the state Legislative Analyst's Office said that if Prop 60 becomes law, "Some parts of the adult film industry would comply with the measure while others might choose to relocate outside of California. It is also possible some adult film producers would try to evade state and local law enforcement while continuing to make films here. Adult film wages and business income in California would likely decline and, as a result, the measure would likely reduce state and local tax revenues by several million dollars per year."