from www.vcreporter.com – Could a new law passed in Los Angeles County requiring adult film actors to wear condoms make Ventura County the next Porn Capital?
Movers and shakers in the porn industry have been saying that Measure B, passed by 56 percent of the voters in Los Angeles County, and known as the Condom Law, may cause producers to set up film shoots in neighboring communities.
Simi Valley Mayor Bob Huber has heard the hype before. With the city’s proximity to the pornhub of Chatsworth, Simi took preventive measures last April and enacted a condom-law of its own to deter potential porno film production. Not only would actors be required to use prophylactics in Simi Valley, but producers are required to hire on-set medical professionals, as well as submit unedited copies of their adult films to the Simi Valley Police Department for review.
“We didn’t want to be known as the porn capital of the world,” said Huber.
“This is a family-oriented community and we want to keep it that way.”
According to previous reports, 59 filming permits were granted in the city last year, and just one was for an adult film.
Proposed by AIDS Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein, L.A.’s Measure B requires producers to purchase health permits, pay permit fees and be subject to random Health Department inspections, and requires that actors wear condoms during vaginal or anal sex. The measure is intended to minimize the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. A violation of the law could lead to fines and jail time.
Huffington Post reported that if the multibillion-dollar adult entertainment industry exited Los Angeles County, 10,000 jobs — actors, directors, editors and makeup artists — would be in tow.
A spokesperson for Vivid Entertainment Group, one of the industry’s top adult film producers, told the VCReporter that the company is exploring all options for production, but hasn’t named any specific locations.
Thousand Oaks Mayor ProTem Claudia Bill-de la Pena said that the City Council has not discussed this issue before, nor is it on any upcoming council agendas.
There are those, however, who think Measure B will be found unconstitutional and that Los Angeles will still remain the epicenter of porn.
“We’re planning on pursuing litigation on First Amendment issues, as well as jurisdictional issues,” said Diane Duke, executive director of the Free Speech Coalition, an industry trade group.
“This is a bad law. We will fight a bad law. Our hands aren’t tied.”