Los Angeles, Calif., Mayor Signs Porn Star Condom Requirement

Under an ordinance signed into law on Monday, adult-film performers will have to use condoms on the set as a condition of obtaining a film permit from the city of Los Angeles. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed the measure after the City Council approved it earlier this month -- avoiding bringing the matter before the voters as a ballot initiative, which would have cost $4 million. The new requirement is aimed at preventing STDs; it goes into effect in about 40 days.

The ordinance applies only to productions needing a city film permit; officials said a permit is not required for films shot on a soundstage. And most adult movies are shot on soundstages, said Diane Duke, executive director of the adult-film industry trade group Free Speech Coalition.

"The significance of this is it's government reaching into areas it doesn't belong," said Duke. "It's government telling us how to produce films, and it's government regulating sexual behavior between consenting adults."

"The tide of history here is pretty clear, and we're not going to stop," said Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is gathering voter signatures for a ballot initiative in Los Angeles County that would require porn companies to obtain health permits, similar to those issued to barber shops. If approved, a permit system would require adult-film companies to comply with existing state workplace laws that mandate the use of condoms by performers, AHF officials said.

The adult-film industry is exploring moving productions to other localities, with Duke citing Florida and Nevada as possibilities. Just 35 miles from Los Angeles in nearby Simi Valley, the City Council next Monday will vote on a similar condom ordinance.

Back to other news for January 2012