Free Speech Coalition’s Duke Argues Against Censorship at UK Roundtable

Free Speech Coalition president Diane Duke argued forcefully against new UK censorship rules at a London roundtable sponsored by Virgin Media. The discussion, “Switched on Families: Does the Online World Make Good Things Happen?” was prompted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s campaign to censor content at the ISP level. The panel included government representatives, members of the press and supporters of an open Internet. A report on the meeting was printed in the Guardian on Wednesday.

“We applaud the Virgin Media roundtable for taking on a tough issue, and for the Guardian for acknowledging the extent to which these new government-imposed ISP filters can actually harm children,” says Duke. “The filters Prime Minister Cameron supports block sexual health sites, they block domestic violence sites, they block gay and lesbian sites, they block information about eating disorders and a lot of information to which it’s crucial young people have access. Rather than protect children from things like bullying and online predators, these filters leave children in the dark.”

According to a Guardian report, a majority of those participating came away from the panel opposing ISP-level filters. Under the conservative Prime Minister’s directive, internet providers in the UK automatically block any content it deems adult in nature. Internet users who wish to not have their content filter must make a special request to their internet provider.

“If government officials want to protect kids from predators and age-inappropriate material, there are proven and effective means to do it,” said Duke. “They involve parental control, monitoring and discussions. Unfortunately, none has the political appeal of a ‘magic filter’ that promises stop things like child abuse, teen pregnancy and sexual assault by merely censoring content.”

The panel included representatives from over a dozen groups including the UK Council on Child Safety, the Family Online Safety Institute, and Big Brother Watch. Also participating in the discussion was Member of Parliament Claire Perry, who has long advocated for filters at the ISP level, and whose own site was initially blocked by filters due to repeated use of phrases like “porn” and “sex.”

While Duke was optimistic about the discussion, she admits there was a lot of work yet to do.

“There is so much misinformation out there, and the stakes are high. It’s important for us to be at the table, and to refuse to let moral panics be used to limit speech.”

Members Spotlight: Wasteland’s Colin Rowntree

FSC: How/when did you start Wasteland?

Colin Rowntree: It was a dark and stormy night in 1994 and my wife, Angie, and I stumbled across an idea. At that time, we had two little mail order catalogues—one selling Celtic and metaphysical jewelry, and the other selling kinky leather gear and BDSM toys. This little idea was to see if we could figure out how to put the pictures from the catalogues on that new thing, the internet. So, we invested $347 on a used and beat-up IBM 286 and a dialup modem, had a friend scan the pictures of our kinky-gear catalogue at the mental institution where he worked, and stuck them on a web page, written in notepad, optimized for Mosaic. The goal was to get people to call or email us to ask for a free catalog.

Within a month, we discovered that a LOT of people were coming to look at the dirty pictures of pretty girls in leather corsets but were not ordering the catalogue, and it was costing us money for bandwidth! So, we thought, let’s figure out a way to charge them, let’s say, $10 to look at the dirty pictures and hide the catalogue pictures in a “secret directory” (this was before we heard about .htaccess) that we would email to the customer after we got the ten bucks. We redid the little website and woke up the next morning to 15 members. HOLY SHIT! A hundred and fifty bucks! That’s half a week’s salary at the day job!

But, alas, still no one ordered a catalogue. Well, we theorized, maybe they just want to pay to see dirty pictures of pretty girls in leather corsets? Kinda dumb, but why not try it? So, on our 14.4 modem, we uploaded as many photos as we had and over the course of two weeks (a total of 100 pictures, one hour each per upload), added them to the “member’s area,” and upped the price to a whopping $50 a year, thinking the world would laugh at this obscenely greedy folly. A little search engine called Yahoo listed us, and people came. Then a new little link list called Persian Kitty listed us. And then they came in droves, phoning and faxing in, and, yes, even emailing their credit card numbers. Wasteland was born.

FSC: Talk about some of the things that set Wasteland apart; innovations you’ve made to expand your market…

CR: Wasteland has always stood apart in various respects from other adult sites.  Yes, it is a bdsm site with the expected photos and movies, but as the site has always been very focused on providing information and educational resources for the bdsm and fetish communities, it is also a very large library of how-to guides, safety guides and forums where members can share ideas, ask questions and meet-and-beat other like minded people.

As for innovations, having started the site in 1994, pretty much everything we did over the first 5 years was an innovation as we were helping lay the tracks for what the internet was becoming from day one.  Online credit card billing, recurring billing, the pay-per-click model, and the affiliate model were innovations that we were part of in the early days.  In the next decade, we were also in the early introduction of video on the internet (really BAD video quality at first!), live chat, social features and the other interactive features which now dominate the adult internet today.  We were also part of the vanguard of early sites that began presenting VOD, Pay-Per-View and the concept of vertical content platforms such as mobile devices, Roku and other platforms that re-task our content for different devices and cloud services.

FSC: What are the biggest challenges for the online adult market right now?

CR: Now THAT’s a big question! Historically, there are generally at least one or two concurrent vexing challenges to our industry, but I’ve been seeing that in the past year or so, the number of these going on at the same time has increased. A lot.  Here are the ones that stick out in my mind as being the most resource and labor intensive to meet and overcome (or at least stabilize):

• Free Content.  Yes, I know, gentle reader.  This sounds like a broken record.  Since the days of picture posts and thumbnail galleries, there has always been a flood of free content on the internet, both pirated as well as provided to lure surfers to paysites for purchases.  It’s different now though.  The sheer astronomical volume of free video content has obviously taken away the need for most surfers to ever buy a premium content membership, VoD or Pay-Per-View movie. And, to compound this, the function of free video on tubes is not generally (with some exceptions) to drive curious surfers to pay for video content, but as the “better mousetrap” to keep them coming back for more free content in order to present them with ads for live chat, dating and other intangible and tangible goods (i.e. things which can not be pirated)  This results in the content production and studio sector serving the function of providing the “swill for the pig’s trough”, with marginal chances of monetizing their content as the revenue it generates goes to other industry sectors.  Many tubes do offer Content Partner Programs to help out with this quandary and although, from personal experience, many of these programs DO drive sales to premium content sites, this is pretty much a fly speck in the bigger picture of how the “volume of biblical proportions” of free video content erodes the profitability of content producers, affiliate programs, VOD and PPV sites and the like.  While this does no obvious harm to the novelty sector, live chat, dating or other non-video goods and services, it does harm the very foundation of the adult industry: the studios, producers, performers and paysites that traditionally serve as one of the pillars on which our industry is based.

• One of the biggest problems for the adult industry in general at this time is the swift and merciless “ghettoization” of adult content on the internet.  During the 10 years of the “lively discussions” about the threat of Dot-XXX having this effect (which, thankfully, it has not that I can see), who could have anticipated that corporate media would fill the role of the ultimate judge in driving adult content into the dark shadows of the internet?  To be sure, mainstream has always distanced itself from “porn”. Since day one of the net, most credit card processors would not do adult.  Most mainstream news, information, dating and community sites have never taken adult advertising.  That all made sense for a variety of reasons.  But, the recent fast trend is that this is happening in a big way now in other sectors that have traditionally, if not we welcomed adult, at least allowed it into their spaces as it drove traffic to them.  But this has changed.  Looking for generic sounding porn words on google these days?  Well, be prepared to wade through the first 2 or 3 pages of wikipedia results.  Want to have a Google+ page for your brand?  Be prepared to have to use your real name on it, and then be very careful not to slip a nip on there or get banned instantly.  Facebook ads, Twitter Vine, Blogger.com Tumblr….. The list goes on and on with a rapid fire list of new developments in which adult is being thrown under the bus.  Even the unlikely candidate for doing such, the traditionally liberal Huffington Post, seems to be climbing onboard.  A great story about this was written by producer Mike Stabile that is well worth the read.  About this HuffPo example, Tom Hymes cut to the case and nailed the core issue, saying,”Unfortunately, it’s much more than that; it’s actually corporate cowardice alert. The Huffington Post, despite its pretentions to being a progressive voice is like any other mainstream corporation: risk averse and very conservative in practice. In effect, it is an entity that perpetuates the very harms that Stabile writes about in his piece.”

So, as much as our industry has always been vigilant in fighting government censorship, those fights are within the realm of free speech protection under the 1st Amendment (and, in the U.K, the Magna Carta, which apparently Prime Minister Cameron need to re-read) and generally “winnable” (or at least, slow-downable) in the courts.  But, there is no court for “corporate cowardice” and though I’m sure it is just “easier” for the mainstream networks to take porn off the radar to keep their advertisers and stockholders in a calm and happy “cute kittens on the piano” paradigm. But, once again, the adult industry does need to take a bit of responsibility for this situation.  We as an industry have a long and consistent history of “poisoning the well” and alienating mainstream but seeing opportunities for often inappropriate exploitation of consumers and mainstream media, and then flooding those venues with a volume of free content, offers and possible scams that have lead over the years to everyone from PayPal and American Express to now Google and social media to enthusiastically exit stage right from any connection with adult.

FSC: If you weren’t in the adult business, what would you be doing?

CR: Conducting opera and music theater, with a bit of vintage wooden boat restoration on the side. And, maybe playing the bagpipes in Harvard Square!

FSC: What do you see in the future for online adult?

CR: One REALLY BIG pornsite network that offers everything, with the only links to it being on Reddit.

Kidding. Sort of…

 

FSC Announces New Members to Board of Directors

FSC is proud to announce new members to its Board of Directors. The Board election was open to all active FSC members and was held during the end of December into the first part of January.

Incumbent board members that were re-elected include Alec Helmy, Reed Lee, Lynn Swanson, Peter Acworth, Jeffrey Douglas, Sid Grief, Joel Kaminsky, and Mark Kernes.

Vivid Entertainment Vice President of Production and Licensing Marci Hirsch is newly elected to the FSC Board.

“I have been fortunate enough to work with Marci on the Measure B campaign and subsequent litigation. She is brilliant, a hard worker, well-connected and brings a strong business component to the Board,” said FSC CEO Diane Duke. “Those skills coupled with her enthusiasm and leadership ability make her a valuable addition to FSC’s Board.”

Members of the board in good standing include Bob Christian, Larry Garland, Kara Price and Christian Mann bringing the total number of seats to 13.

First-Ever FSC Summit Brings Together Industry Veterans and Legal Eagles for Exciting Seminar Panels

The inaugural Free Speech Coalition Summit, a one-day event produced by XBIZ Magazine, will feature a slate of panels covering hot business topics, of interest to adult industry professionals, on the heels of a turbulent election season.

“We are so excited to be able to present this one-day show, and to address important business topics at this turbulent time for our business and the nation,” Free Speech Coalition (FSC) CEO Diane Duke. “We hear, everyday, from industry members that are looking for ideas and advice on what they need to do to stay in the game. This show has an unprecedented line-up of leaders that will speak from an historic perspective, as well as cover current issues relevant in today’s business environment.”

The Hot Seat Panel will deliver opinions on today’s legal issues from the perspective of leading industry attorneys, including Paul Cambria, Lou Sirkin, Michael Murray, and Marc Randazza, moderated by attorney and FSC Board Chair Jeffrey Douglas. With panelists that represent the biggest names in the adult industry and fight the good fight on important cases including 2257, piracy and obscenity, this discussion is sure to spark fireworks for Summit attendees.

The last seminar of the day, entitled “If I Knew Then What I Know Now,” will highlight some of the first in industry innovation, including Video Secret’s Greg Clayman, AVN Founder Paul Fishbein, Cal-Exotic’s Sue Colvin, Wicked Pictures’ Steve Orenstein, XBIZ’s Alec Helmy, and Vivid Entertainment’s Steve Hirsch. Find out, from these esteemed professionals, what strategies and tactics have helped build success for their companies – as well as, what they would do over, if they had the chance.

“This show is scheduled for two days after the election; it will be a time when a lot of us will be anxious to look at the election results and how they will affect the industry,” Duke added. “It’s a great time for professionals from every industry segment to get together and talk about the short-term and long-reaching strategies.”

Attendance to the show is free, due to the generosity of show sponsors, including California Exotic Novelties, Manwin, CCBill, Wicked Pictures, Girlfriend Films, Adam & Eve, Video Secrets and The Screaming O.

The FSC Summit is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8, beginning at 10am. The show will be located at the Sofitel Hotel in West Hollywood, CA. For more information or to register, please visit the FSC Summit webpage or call (818) 348-9373.

No on Government Waste Committee Calls on AIDS Healthcare Foundation to Halt Illegal Measure B TV Ads

TV Ads Feature Compensated Actors With Disclaimers That Violate State Campaign Laws

Los Angeles – Blasting a new television ad featuring paid performers, the No on Government Waste Committee called on the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to remove an ad that it calls misleading, erroneous and that violates state election law in the fight over Measure B, the so-called “Safer Sex” initiative on the Nov. 6^th ballot in Los Angeles County.

“This ad featuring Derrick Burts and Darren James does not disclose that both men were well-compensated by AHF for their appearances, nor does the disclaimer meet state requirements for information, location and size in order to allow voters to be properly informed,” said James Lee, communications director for the No on Government Waste Committee. “If AHF does not remove this ad, nor make the necessary corrections, our only alternative is to file a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission and force them to abide by the law.”

The TV ad can be viewed here.

Lee disclosed that Derrick Burts had previously been in discussions with the No on Government Waste Committee seeking compensation of $10,000 in order to not appear in any AHF ads and campaign materials.

“Mr. Burts had previously been in discussions with us in order to be paid $10,000 by the opponents to Measure B. Even though he agreed to the amount and be paid, the Committee eventually decided not to complete the agreement, nor make any payments,” Lee said. “Burts had disclosed to us that AHF had previously paid approximately $7,500 for his support and he indicated he wanted more money. We can only assume that Mr. Weinstein met his demands for increased compensation after shopping himself around to the highest bidder.”

Lee further disclosed the Committee had also been informed that Darren James had been compensated by AHF and that AHF had approached other performers in a blatant attempt to throw money at people in tough economic conditions in order to take advantage of them.

“It’s worth asking if AHF can find a single performer who has not been paid by them to come forward and be a passionate advocate for a measure that taxpayers and the business community, especially outside of the adult entertainment industry, are beginning to seriously question,” Lee said. “This is an industry that requires the latest PCR/RNA Aptima testing for every performer, as well as screening for syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. It subsidizes those tests for performers and aggressively pursues notifications, retesting and treatment whenever there is a positive test.”

Of more significant note, Lee also cited a need for the FPPC, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the California Office of AIDS and the California Department of Public Health to open up inquiries into AHF’s use of funds for political purposes.

“The taxpayers of California and the voters, not to mention the thousands of AIDS and HIV patients being served by AHF have a right to know what funds AHF is tapping to pay for initiative qualifications, paying for endorsements and spending for pricey ad campaigns at a time when the state and county health systems are extremely underfunded,” Lee said. “State election law and the rules of the grant awards AHF has received from the government make clear that taxpayer dollars are not to be used for political purposes. And if AHF is making the claim that these ads are part of its AIDS education mandate, then all references to Measure B are to be erased and media advisories and press releases and press events should make no mention of it.”

Measure B, funded and placed on the ballot by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, would require the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to license and permit adult movie productions in the county and require performers to wear condoms and create an unworkable system of on-set inspections and enforcement by county personnel. The county estimates initial start-up costs for the program to be in excess of $300,000, but acknowledges it does not know if permitting fees would be adequate to fund the program’s long-term costs.

According to the California Dept. of Public Health, from June 30, 2008 to June 30, 2011, there were 6,447 new cases of HIV reported in Los Angeles County, but only two were adult performers who did not contract the disease on-set. Since 2004, there have been no documented cases of HIV transmission on an adult entertainment set.  In fact, with the industry’s strict testing protocols – requiring testing at least every 28 days for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis – adult performers are the most tested workforce in the nation.

No on Government Waste Committee

The Committee is comprised of entertainment companies, local business organizations, community activists, adult entertainment performers and healthcare advocates who oppose Measure B’s plan for creating an underfunded government inspection program diverting badly needed resources from local community clinics and underserved minority communities.

FSC Introduces No on Government Waste, No on Measure B Campaign Committee Staff

The Free Speech Coalition is pleased to introduce the “No on Government Waste – No on Measure B” campaign staff.

Planning with our campaign manager for the potential ballot measure began early in 2012 with the committee officially coming together in July. During that time, campaign staff and committee members have worked tirelessly gathering and analyzing polling data, developing communication and fundraising strategies, soliciting donations to build the campaign infrastructure and preparing for the launch of the campaign.

Senior campaign staff includes:

Sue Burnside, the “No on Measure B” Campaign Manager is the Founder and CEO of Burnside and Associates. Established by Sue Burnside in 1991, Burnside & Associates is a Los Angeles-based political consulting firm specializing in sophisticated grassroots field operations, turnout programs, ground-based vote-by-mail programs and coalition building. Fifteen percent of Burnside & Associates’ races have been decided by less than one percent of the total votes cast. Their direct mail programs have a 95 percent win record.

In 2008 Burnside & Associates achieved a perfect 100% win record for both their Political and Corporate Clients.  In 2009, Burnside & Associates was proud to announce a 100 percent win record for their Corporate Clients. In 2010, they scored a 90% win rate for their clients.  They kicked off last year with Rep. Janice Hahn’s historic first open primary Congressional election in California and ended it with solid wins for their political, corporate and municipal clients.  Included in their long list of clients are the DNC in Oregon, New Mexico and California, Linda Sanchez for Congress, AARP, HRC-Protect Our Constitution-Hawaii & California Project, America Votes, JetBlue and many, many more.  For more information about Burnside and Associates, click here.

James Lee of The Lee Strategy Group, Inc. (LSG) is the campaign’s Communications Director.  Prior to forming LSG, James was a director at the global PR firm Burson-Marsteller working on a wide array of issues, including utility deregulation, wireless standards, biotechnology and healthcare, business-to-business marketing, labor relations, environmental communications, community outreach and coalition building. He also has extensive experience in HIV and AIDS drug development having worked for biotech firms searching for cures and treatments.

James’ extensive campaign experience includes working for several conservative candidates and organizations including President George H.W. Bush and Governor Pete Wilson.   Because of James’ extensive experience working to fight onerous government regulation and the relationships he developed in the course of those fights, he brings to the campaign the ability to connect successfully with the County’s more conservative business organizations.  Campaign poll results emphasize the importance of a bipartisan effort as this ballot measure cannot be simple-mindedly pigeonholed as either a Democratic or Republican issue.  For more information about LSG, click here.

Goodwin Simon Strategic Research (GSSR) is the pollster for the campaign.  GSSR is an independent opinion research firm with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Together, Partners Paul Goodwin and Amy Simon bring more than 30 years of experience in polling, social and political marketing, policy analysis, program evaluation, and communications for clients in the political, public, and private sectors.

GSSR offers a comprehensive array of quantitative and qualitative research services, including telephone, on-line, and intercept surveys; focus groups; and consulting. Their research and consulting services guide strategic and tactical decision making across the full range of campaign concerns.

GSSR’s client list includes, American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Cancer Society, California Progressive Alliance, Courage Campaign, Marijuana Policy Project and yes, even AIDS Healthcare Foundation.  For a more extensive list of clients and more information about GSSR, click here.

“We couldn’t be happier with the people who are coming together to fight this ballot measure,” said Diane Duke, Free Speech Coalition CEO. “This issue is non-partisan, and it cannot be broken down by traditional demographic lines. We have assembled an exceptional team of experts that can reach all parties and bring us to a win.”

FSC Announces FSC Summit Website is Launched

Free Speech Coalition is proud to announce the FSC Summit website has been launched. The FSC Summit, which will be hosted by adult industry trade publication XBIZ, is a first-ever, one-day event to be held on Thursday, Nov 8, at the Sofitel Hotel in West Hollywood, Calif. Sponsorships for the inaugural summit are available by contacting info@freespeechcoalition.com.

The day of seminars will be followed by a gala reception, where the FSC Awards will be presented. Awards will be given in the following categories: Woman of the Year, Man of the Year, Internet Company of the Year, Novelty Company of the Year, Production Company of the Year, the Positive Image Awards, and the Legacy Award.

“We are so pleased and honored to highlight the political, legal and business issues that affect the industry in this first-ever event,” said FSC CEO Diane Duke. “As the adult industry trade association, FSC works on the frontlines of these issues and others, to promote the well-being and business interests of adult industry businesses and all the folks employed by the adult industry.

“Especially since this show will follow one of the most contentious elections in memory, there will be plenty to discuss,” Duke added. “We will be looking at the results of the election; especially the Los Angeles County condom ordinance, which will have been decided by voters.”

The FSC Summit seminars include:

• Strange Bedfellows – What You Need to Know About Sex & Politics
• Diversification – How to Expand Your Business with Multiple Revenue Streams & Cross-Promotion
• The New Internet – How it Will Affect your Brand
• Opening Up Brave New Markets and Revitalizing Established Markets
• Piracy, Politics and Patent Trolls
• Legal Mumbo Jumbo – Making Sense of Legal Trends and Litigation

For more information about sponsorship or the FSC Summit, please contact info@freespeechcoalition.com.

FSC Speaks About Launch of No on Government Waste Campaign

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced today the launch of a campaign against the AIDS Healthcare Foundation sponsored measure mandating condoms in the adult film industry in LA County — Measure B.

No on Government Waste, a broad-based coalition of business organizations, entertainment companies, community activists and healthcare advocates announced the campaign launch this week to media outlets nationwide.

The campaign has polled likely voters in LA County to determine their position on Measure B.

“There is a clear path to win this campaign,” said Diane Duke FSC CEO and No on Government Waste committee member. “The key will be to educate voters about the harm to performers and the taxpayer expense that comes with this flawed measure.”

Los Angeles County estimates the initial start-up costs for the inspection and permitting program would come to more than $300,000 per year in administration, salary and benefits for county inspectors, but with Film LA, Inc., the film-permitting arm for Los Angeles County, estimating less than 480 permits issued for all adult film shoots, the program could start losing money from its launch.

Measure B also stipulates standards for conduct on sets during filming that could require actors and film crew to wear gloves, goggles and lab coats.

“The people of Los Angeles County can think of a lot better uses for the time of first responders, county health inspectors and other government personnel than hanging around an adult film shoot checking for condom usage,” said James Lee, spokesman for the No on Government Waste Committee. “Measure B is seriously flawed and is going to cost taxpayers money and cost them critical health services.”

No on Government Waste Committee

The Committee is comprised of entertainment companies, local business organizations, community activists, adult entertainment performers and healthcare advocates who oppose Measure B’s plan for creating an underfunded government inspection program diverting badly needed resources from local community clinics and under-served minority communities. The Committee will be launching its online program, which will provide additional information to interested voters.

A Statement About Performer Testing From FSC Executive Director Diane Duke

Dear Adult Industry Producers and Directors,

Shy Love has called a producer meeting about performer testing to be held at Penthouse on Tuesday, June 12th. FSC has not been invited to this meeting. Based on uncountable conversations with Ms. Love, we expect her to denigrate FSC’s testing program and promote a non-APHSS testing facility. To ensure that accurate information about the APHSS program and its protocols is disseminated, below is clarification of the three most critical components in question.

First, APHSS protocols require that all tests be ordered by a medical provider licensed to practice within the state. In many states,including California and Florida, a medical provider’s involvement is required by law. Under most states’ laws,clinical laboratories must obtain a request from a health care provider and can release test results only to the health care provider who ordered the test. In addition, patients in most states do not have the right to obtain their test results directly from a clinical
laboratory.

Moreover, a performer who tests positive for a sexually transmitted infection will need treatment for that infection. Continuity of care is critical for the health and well-being of performers. APHSS providers can immediately follow up with a performer  who tests positive for Chlamydia or Gonorrhea for counseling, medical treatment,and eventually retesting.

It is highly inadvisable to rely on any testing provider which lacks a medical provider licensed by the state where the blood is being drawn. FSC can assist you in confirming whether any particular testing provider has such a licensed medical practitioner, or any other of the APHSS criteria.

Second, APHSS accepts the Aptima HIV-1RNA Qualitative Assay and the Abbot RealTime HIV 1 Assay HIV PCR tests. After considerable research and contact with infectious disease specialists,pathologists and physicians, APHSS determined that these two tests best meet the needs of our performer population. Both tests have the 9 to 11day window. The Aptima test is sanctioned by the FDA for detection and diagnosis of HIV. The Abbot test is sanctioned by the FDA to determine the viral load of HIV–the amount of the HIV virus present. While the Aptima has been FDA approved for diagnostic, the Abbot test has been identified by experts as an excellent option for the industry because of the doctor’s ability to know the value of the viral load.  The purpose of the initial HIV test is to screen for the presence of HIV, not to diagnose. If a performer tests positive, an additional diagnostic test will then be administered–regardless of the initial test’s brand.

Finally, APHSS requires all providers to enter information for APHSS performers into our availability database. FSC board members Peter Acworth (Owner and CEO of Kink.com) and Christian Mann (General Manager of Evil Angel) oversaw the design and development of the database. The database has been built with several layers of security. In order to ensure performer privacy and to comply with HIPAA regulations (federal medical privacy laws), the producer/director’s database-interface displays only a performer’s availability for work – “Available” or “Not Available.” The database’s public interface contains no personal or medical information. This system was created to enhance performer privacy and reduce producer/director liability.

APHSS was created to fill the gap left by the closure of the AIM clinic. Without a comprehensive, coordinated program that is trusted by the industry, should a performer test positive,both performers and producers are highly vulnerable. Moreover, without a highly structured and successful performer health and safety plan, the industry has no viable alternative to government regulation. Therefore, in order to maintain standards and protocols for performer safety and health and in order to reduce legal and financial liability for producers, FSC created APHSS.

We are at a critical turning point for the APHSS program. APHSS has grown a great deal, but for the program to be fully functional, we need the whole industry to stand behind APHSS. The beauty of this system is,in the event a performer turns up positive,we will have a ready-made network in place. Through this network,we can test and care for any performers that may have been exposed and isolate that exposure protecting performers and significantly shortening production shut down time. We have spent a great deal of FSC time and money to create a working program for the industry and have not received additional funding from the industry or any other entity.  Frankly,it will not make sense for FSC to expend any more of its resources if the industry is not 100 percent behind us.

We have created an excellent program – and now the ball is in your court. If producers, performers and directors are in support of FSC overseeing performer health and safety testing protocols and practices, then we need you to sign up. The alternative to FSC oversight is for producers, performers and agents to take on the responsibility of performer testing and safety-including any incidents of positive HIV tests. In our August meeting, FSC’s Board of Directors will review the program for its effectiveness and value to the industry.

If you want to ensure that APHSS will continue, sign up. Performers,directors and producers can go to APHSS.org and click “sign-up” to be led through a simple registration process. The program is currently free, but there may be a nominal cost for producers moving forward.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss the issue further,feel free to contact me at 818-348-9373 or Diane@freespeechcoalition.com.

APHSS.org Partners With St James Infirmary to Provide Performer Testing in San Francisco

Adult Production Health & Safety Services (APHSS.org) is proud to announce performer testing for industry members in the Bay Area, in partnership with local nonprofit clinic St. James Infirmary.

The announcement follows a months-long pilot program at the clinic, in which performers for Kink.com were tested regularly.

“St James has a great program that has successfully served their community for years. Adapting our protocols to their testing environment was seamless and we know that our performers will get the respect quality of care they deserve,” FSC Executive Director Diane Duke said.

Performer testing is offered at St. James on every other Monday, from 11am – 4pm, and most test results are returned within 1-3 days. The next day that testing will be available at St. James on Monday, June 18.

St. James Infirmary is a nonprofit healthcare provider for sex workers, as well as other groups, and has been serving clients since 1999 with a variety of services, including STI testing, peer counseling and various outreach programs for sex workers. Their important work has improved the lives of countless patients, in a nonjudgmental environment. The clinic is located at 1372 Mission St., in San Francisco.

“St. James Infirmary is excited to extend our peer-based, client-centered services to adult entertainment performers. This collaboration is the result of years of relationship building with the adult entertainment industry, and we look forward to continuing to provide this service to performers,” said St. James Infirmary Programs Director Stephany Ashley.

APHSS.org is administered by Free Speech Coalition, the adult industry trade association. The program, which was launched in 2011, promotes and protects policies for performer safety and upholds industry self-regulation for STI exposure protocols. For more information on APHSS.org, please, visit the website or contact joanne@freespeechcoalition.com.