January 18, 2012 | The Biz

Wrap it up in Los Angeles!

Los Angeles City Council gave final approval yesterday to a new ordinance requiring condoms be used for all adult videos filmed in the city. All that remains is the mayor's signature.

"The only thing that the city could potentially achieve is losing some film permit money and driving some productions away, but you can't actually compel an industry to create a product that the market doesn't want," said Christian Mann, general manager of Evil Angel Productions.

"If you want to wear them, wear them. If you don't, don't. That's up to the talent to decide. It shouldn't be up to the government to decide," added porn actress Tabitha Stevens.

Others disagreed, saying the new regulation was needed. "We are not opposed to testing, but testing is not prevention in the same way that a barrier protection is," said Ged Kenslea, spokesman for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

He also challenged the idea that porn companies would relocate because of the new rules. "The industry is not going to go away," he said, arguing that other jurisdictions are less tolerant of adult productions.

The current ordinance is only valid within city limits, though, so relocating a shoot a few miles one way or the other may not be too difficult. 

The city also admitted it still needed to work out how best to police the new bylaw, and has asked law enforcement officials to meet and work out the details.

Time will tell if the decision makes any difference at all on adult productions, or just becomes a financial, legal and bureaucratic nightmare for the city.

L.A. approves condom rule for porn performers [LA Times]

Los Angeles to porn industry: wear a condom [The Guardian]