This comment (OP/ED) is by Michael Whiteacre
It’s so sad to say, but just as Ernest Greene, myself and others have warned since AHF’s attacks began in 2009, Michael Weinstein’s agenda has led to both the destruction of AIM Healthcare, AND the driving of more and more adult production out of state — where health and safety protocols either do not exist or are ignored by the unscrupulous.
Initial reports/rumors at this time are that this new case (and all its supposed potential exposures) occurred in Florida. Does it not strike anyone as odd that, although the 2009 case (which took place in Nevada) and the 2010 Derrick Burts case (Florida) were not California-based productions, AHF’s response has been to demand mandatory condoms in California — along with a Los Angeles-based ballot initiative?
Even if enacted, these measures would have done NOTHING to prevent these cases of HIV exposures within the adult industry.
If anything, AHF’s relentless attacks on the California adult production industry will lead to MORE risk for performers, because someone, somewhere will always be willing to take risks that California workers would be prevented from taking.
These are the people who DESTROYED the health clinic for adult industry performers, helped drive adult production out of state, and, in the process, fractured adult industry health and safety protocols designed to prevent and mitigate such incidents. Why? So that condom Nazi Michael Weinstein could assert that now that the industry’s protocols have been compromised, “the responsible thing for the industry to do” is require condom use on all adult film sets.
Certainly there had been porn production outside of California prior to AHF’s attacks — but we can now see the tragic consequences of driving adult production away from the San Fernando Valley (and/or underground). Make no mistake, because of Weinstein’s agenda there will be more and greater risk to performers, not less.
As Ernest commented today, “if AHF’s plan becomes law, you can pretty much forget about [APHSS] too, because most shooting here will be sub-rosa and participation is likely to be spotty and unreliable at best, even here much less in other parts of the country.”
The problem isn’t porn, and the problem isn’t porn in California — the problem is fanatics like Michael Weinstein.
I didn’t know you were going to run this as a standalone op/ed — although I’m glad you did, Cindi — but allow me to add one or two more things:
APHSS has approved test centers, which follow a specific, consistent protocol, NATIONWIDE. According the FSC’s statement today, the performer in this case did not use one — since the performer was hired, this must also mean that producer in question did not demand a test from an APHSS facility.
Another rumor — I repeat RUMOR, as in unconfirmed report — which has been floated on some boards and other sites is that the APHSS program effectively STOPPED an aspiring performer with HIV from entering the adult talent pool in CA at about the same time this latest alleged infection episode occurred.
Hey Cindi, how come some of my long comments can’t become op/eds too? 😛
Tack och godnatt!