"We ask that this council place a moratorium as soon as is possible on the issuance of any film permits for the producers of adult films until those producers come into compliance with the law," said Brian Chase, an attorney for the /*AIDS Healthcare Foundation*/.
According to representatives of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the current voluntary and temporary suspension of production in the industry isn't enough. The group says the adult-entertainment industry continues to break the law by allowing performers to work without condoms, the only real protection against the spread of HIV.
"We're coming to you to ask for your help in this situation," said Miki Jackson, an HIV/AIDS activist. "Condoms are the law, a federal law in this country that has been defined by /*Cal/OSHA*/ here, though it didn't really need to be. It is not a law that needs to be passed; it is the law of the nation."
Some council members promised to look into the issue but say it's not likely the council will act to interfere with production in an industry which, they say, has a lower rate of HIV than the general public.
"Pulling permits across the board is not the way to act," said L.A. City Councilman Richard Alarcon. "If a stuntman falls of a scaffolding we don't pull the permits of all the industry in the filming business. That's not to say that we shouldn't look at it, but frankly, I don't see a major compulsion on the counts of pull these permits."
As of Friday afternoon, no one in the industry has any information about the HIV-infected performer or where he or she worked. So production companies like Vivid Entertainment have voluntarily stopped production until they get more information.
