California’s Condoms-In-Porn Bill, AB 1576, Is Dead

Hallelujah.

As foreshadowed last week, the bill before the California Legislature that would have made all bareback porn (and condom-free straight porn) illegal to shoot in the state has died in committee.

The State Senate’s Appropriations Committee tabled the bill, AB 1576, last week in order to determine if there was budget to implement it. And they decided today there isn’t, and the bill stays “in suspense.” In other words: dead.

The porn industry owes a big debt to stars like Lorelei Lee who took the time to go to Sacramento and testify against this stupid, ill-conceived bill, which would have made criminals out of anyone trying to shoot condom-less porn, no matter how responsibly.

The Free Speech Coalition’s Diane Duke issued a statement saying:

We’re grateful to the members of the Senate who saw this bill for what it was — a bald-faced attempt to exploit performers for political gain. But the assault had an unintended consequences — it unified performers and producers in ways that we haven’t seen in decades. Out of this grows a stronger industry, one not unintimidated by harassment campaigns like AB1576. But the battle is not actually over, for we must always work to make sure our productions are safe and legal, that our performers have a strong voice in their own sexual health, and that we keep a thriving industry in California.

Suck it, Michael Weinstein.

Here are some reactions from the Twits.

Previously: CALIFORNIA’S CONDOM BILL MAY BE GETTING KILLED (OR IT MIGHT NOT)

10 REASONS WHY GAY PORN STARS NEED TO BE MORE ANGRY, AND SCARED, ABOUT AB1576

12 thoughts on “California’s Condoms-In-Porn Bill, AB 1576, Is Dead”

  1. I think OSHA has the authority to require employers to provide their employees with a safe work environment. They require all sorts of industries to comply with health and safety regulations. Why not the Porn Studios?

  2. Sadly it’s already made some damage, just look at falcon they’ve already moved to vegas. Even though it didn’t pass it’s already gotten some porn companiess wheels turning to move to vegas for cheaper reasons.

        1. no one has become infected on set since 2004? how would anyone know that to be true? do we think if someone was infected that the studios would release this information? its crazy to think that any number of studios would always be honest and upfront about this, particularly now with all the empahsis on passing these condom laws. does it occur to anyone that a model who might have found them self infected decided to just say i’m quitting porn because i’m tired of it and NOT tell the studio or other actors because they wouldnt want anyone to know? how accurate is a test if i am infected tonight after i was tested this afternoon and i’m doing a shoot tomorrow morning? this “they test on site” defense is bullshit how long after infection does it take to show poz? its heartbreaking to see all these beautiful young men risking their lives for a few thousand (if that) dollars to make some fuck film and enrich some non caring studio..

  3. How would mandatory testing work in gay porn? Performers would be tested, but then what? Especially since “so many performers today are HIV positive.” What do you propose should happen in gay porn in light of the test results?

    1. J.W. Waxner-Herman

      This was one of the arguments against the bill, that gay performers who were HIV positive would have their statuses outed and would potentially be banned from performing. But gay porn is only one piece of this.

      1. Yes. And w/o evidence of a HIV transmission on set there is no reason to drum poz performers out of porn – gay or str8. And to date there is no evidence of such a transmission as far as I know.

        1. J.W. Waxner-Herman

          Correct. To anyone’s knowledge, there’s been no on-set transmission since 2004, and the whole industry voluntarily tests performers before shooting, often even if they use condoms.

  4. What about a bill about mandatory HIV testing like straight porn does? The gay porn industry would go even crazier since so many performers today are HIV positive.

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