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Porn condom rule leads to drastic drop in adult film permits in LA County
Derrick Burts, 24, the actor whose HIV positive test sparked a temporary shutdown of the US porn filmmaking industry called for mandatory condom use on set during news conference in 2010. Los Angeles County voters approved an ordinance in 2012 requiring porn actors to use condoms on set. In the months since, permit applications for adult films have plummeted. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
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In the wake of last fall's voter-approved ordinance requiring adult film actors to wear condoms on set, the number of applications for film permits in Los Angeles County has plummeted.
Philip Sokoloski with Film L.A. — the nonprofit that coordinates those permits — says applications are in the single digits, compared with dozens a year ago.
“So far for the year we’ve only received two applications for adult film production," Sokoloski said. "[The number is] considerably below what we are used to seeing. Based on an estimate we did last year, we typically see about 40 permit request for adult filming per month or somewhere just shy of 500 per year.”
Members of the adult entertainment industry are concerned the multibillion dollar entertainment business will leave the San Fernando Valley ... and take thousands of jobs with it.
Proponents of the law say protecting workers from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases is more important.
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