A Terrible Day for Adult (Plus Follow Up)

Before I explain why I have not updated with a story, or essay, anything recently, I want to address a very immediate and pressing issue:



Earlier today, December 9th, 2010, Los Angeles County health officials "issued a cease-and-desist order" to shut down AIM, "the San Fernando Valley-based health clinic that serves the porn industry."

The Los Angeles Times article can be found HERE.

XBiz reports that AIM is working with the county to reopen, HERE.

This is all very convenient timing, as just earlier this week, Derrick Burts, the most recent performer to test positive for HIV at AIM's clinic, publicly decried AIM and the adult industry's policy regarding condom use. You can read about it HERE.

AIM responded to Burts' allegations HERE.

To put it lightly, this is a sad day for the adult industry. Shutting down our only self-regulated clinic is not contributing to the safety of anyone. Sure, there are other testing facilities in Los Angeles. But AIM actually databases tests for use on adult productions. Prior to this policy, a performer was able to infect multiple partners in the industry by forging his tests while knowingly working with HIV (this happened in the late 1990's).

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has been especially critical of AIM. It's also denounced the heterosexual side of the adult industry for not mandating condom use. In fact, Derek Burts reportedly involved himself with AHF prior to his public statement.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation president, Michael Weinstein, is reported saying, in the above XBix article, "The adult film industry needs to be shut down, or start enforcement of condom use today."

While the condom issue is still open to healthy debate, the fact is that AIM's testing protocol worked. A quarantine was put in place, and no one else was infected on a straight porn set. Burts either contracted HIV on a gay porn set WHILE USING A CONDOM, or outside of the industry. The fact that Burts "had advertised as an escort but said he never worked as one," is highly suspect. Gay escorting is regarded as a high risk activity due to the lack of testing, and the fact that there are no regulations surrounding condom use, or anything else for that matter. It is prostitution, and it is illegal.

I don't have sources to back this up, but the allegations from many in the adult industry are that The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has financial motives to be involved in the testing of adult talent. If I find anything to validate this, I will be sure to post it.

More allegations cite Burts as an escort and member of the swinger scene, despite his claims to the contrary.


FOLLOW UP

FROM AVN: "AIM Office to Reopen Tomorrow During Dispute With Health Dept."

EVEN MORE

One of my avid blog readers, Amanda, did some researching of her own. In doing so, she came across Violet Blue's Blog, which sheds some light on AHF's involvement with Pink Cross, the anti-porn, Christian outreach program started by ex-pornstar, Shelley Lubben (I'm actually going to address this woman in my next piece. I read Lubben's self-published book. You don't need to be a psychologist to know she suffers from severe mental illness).

Example-

In Lubben's book, "The Truth Behind the Fantasy of Porn," she writes of her experience at an Army mental health clinic:

"At the end of a the long session, which felt like it lasted five hours, he diagnosed me with Bipolar Disorder, Impulse Control Disorder, Alcohol Dependence, Depressive Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I was prescribed Zoloft for depression, Antabuse for alcoholism, Naproxen for joint pain, sleeping pills and an eternity of counseling."

Several paragraphs later, Lubben writes:

"'Couldn't it just stop raining for one day?' I asked God.

A voice interrupted my thoughts again, 'Shelley, didn't you read my Book?'

I would have thought it was Schizophrenia after reading the pamphlets, but the Voice was too nice to me. I could never be that nice to myself. Anyways, I knew Who it was. God Almighty had been talking to me for years."


So there you go. Thanks Amanda!




Anyways...

Don't think I've forgotten about my follow-up to the "Ethics Part I" essay. I've been hard at work at the interviews, and have thus far spoken to:

Nica Noelle
Wolf Hudson
Dana DeArmond
Kimberly Kane
Eli Cross
Tristan Taormino
Tyler Knight
Andy San Dimas
Dave Naz
Ashley Blue

I think I may cut it off here, because during the process I was been asked to submit the final piece for publication in a book on Feminism and Porn. I can't give any more details than that, because I'm not sure if it's 100% yet. But here's to hoping. :)

Also, this process is taking longer than most of my written pieces because it involves other people's schedules, and the transcription of nearly 12 hours of interview tape. So I apologize for the lack of written entries, but I may not be posting stories until this is completed.

Other than that, here's a picture of me on a porn panel at CSU Fullerton (taken by Jeff Koga):



And some fun loot I received from a "Secret Satan" in the fashion of the holiday spirit: