LOS ANGELES — The state has spoken and now the adult industry will too: In light of this morning’s passage of AB 1576 by the California Appropriations Committee, XBIZ has queried several leading adult industry players about their take on the news.
Below are the top responses:
“I am nervous about the government having more of a presence in our industry. We have the correct testing procedures in place and we are a responsible community. I think we deserve the right to have choice in the matter, as we are offering our bodies and it is our conscious decision.”
— Bonnie Rotten, performer/director
“Isadore Hall would do much better to require condoms in his district, which has a much higher rate of STDs than the adult entertainment industry.”
— Marc Randazza, industry attorney
“We made an extremely compelling case and the industry owes a big thank you to all those who testified.
“It is disheartening to narrowly lose the vote after such strong testimony. However, we have such momentum and energy behind our message that I cannot help but be optimistic that we will be heard and ultimately prevail with the senate.”
— Peter Acworth, Kink.com CEO
“Disappointing, but not unexpected.”
— Allan B. Gelbard, industry attorney
“It's sad to see that the politicians in Sacremento are so short sighted that they fail to see what they are doing to their own state. Not only are they driving businesses out of the state, they are also losing good citizens, as well as tax revenue which impacts the overall state — as well as the remaining citizens and businesses.
“Sadly, this pattern of behavior isn't just in the adult industry. It reflects a mentality that pervades the political circles and affects all businesses in California. To be clear, while the powers that be do not want to listen to an industry and it's performers who have not only successfully self-policed themselves, they also have not listened to large blue chip companies who did not want the unreasonable strain of excess taxes, fees and regulations that politicians think are required to operate a business here in California.
“So when you see the politicians in Sacramento, who are so woefully out of touch with their own constituents, try to apply the same flawed logic on the adult film production community that they have already done to large blue chip businesses, can you blame us for having already divested and moved to other locales so that we also can have a better standard of living and benefits for our families as well?”
— Miles Long, director
“I'm already setting up my studios in New Hampshire. I left Los Angeles the day before yesterday. I'll be shooting in LA throughout the summer while I get situated here, but I'm definitely based in New England now.
“Why is shooting in New Hampshire a bad idea for a variety of reasons? I agree that it would suck if Porn Valley in its entirety moved out here, as I'm thrilled to be away from it, but I certainly hope to find a sane, respectful, professional, community of like-minded artists here. I will say part of the reason I left Los Angeles is because I just couldn't take the Porn Valley culture or the nonstop politics, so I hope L.A. doesn't move to New Hampshire. But that's just my personal preference.
"My guess is most porn studios will end up in Miami or Vegas, or just go underground."
— Nica Noelle, director, from XBIZ.net
“If anyone thinks AHF won't follow the industry to any other state, they are sadly mistaken. AHF is a global enterprise with extremely deep political pockets. They have already said they would and even filed complaints in Florida against producers. If the Legislators won't back the industry in California, I doubt any other Legislators in any other states will back us anywhere else....
“It was a good ‘dog and pony’ show that was put on today, but overall none of it will amount to much. I tend to agree with Howard [Levine] that the business will stay put, go underground and testing will continue as it has. Some companies will move to condoms, as some of my clients have and now Axel [Braun] has, in order not to play the games necessary to shoot underground. Some will move out of state, but I don't think you will see the mass exodus the FSC is threatening. The industry needs to be near talent. Talent will go where the majority of shooting occurs. And for now that's still L.A.”
— Michael Fattorosi, industry attorney, from XBIZ.net
Free Speech Coalition CEO Diane Duke also responded in a formal statement that can be read here.
To check out an ongoing thread concerning industry members’ responses on XBIZ.net, click here.