Condom use in porn

Four yes votes from the seven-member board were required for passage. The vote was in favor, with one member absent and one board position currently open. The board will now begin considering a new worker-safety measure for the porn industry, Bernstein said. Board members appeared influenced by the dozens of porn industry representatives who filed to the dais during a public hearing in Oakland, California, to argue forcefully but politely that adopting the condom measure would either destroy their multibillion-industry or force it underground. Mike Stabile, a spokesman for the industry trade group the Free Speech Coalition, said after the vote that pornographers hope they can work closely in the future in crafting safety requirements that the industry can accept. He added his group would be interested in working with them to achieve that goal.

The California Assembly passed a bill on Tuesday that would require condom use in pornographic films shot in the state. It was Democratic state Rep. Isadore Hall's third attempt to pass such legislation. Los Angeles County voters approved a condom mandate for adult film performers in , but a similar state requirement died last year.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation said in a statement late on Thursday it had amassed more than , signatures, above the , threshold set by the state. In , the foundation successfully backed a voter-approved measure in Los Angeles County to force condom use in porn productions locally. But producers fought the measure in court, and officials from the foundation say county officials have been slow to enforce the measure.

The panel, which had been poised to approve the measure, eventually voted it down when only three members gave their support. Four yes votes from the seven-member panel were required for passage. The vote was in favor, with one member absent and one board position currently open. Board members appeared influenced by the large number of industry representatives, ranging from actors to writers to directors, who argued forcefully but politely during five hours of testimony. Mike Stabile, a spokesman for the industry trade group the Free Speech Coalition, said after the vote that pornographers hope they can work closely in the future in crafting safety requirements that the industry can accept.