Here Are The Gay Porn Studios That Could Be Affected By California’s Prop. 60
Next month, Californians will vote on Proposition 60, the so-called “condom law” that would make condoms mandatory in porn scenes featuring anal and/or vaginal penetration. While the state of California already requires studios to protect performers against sexually transmitted diseases, current regulations don’t specify that condoms must be used. Prop. 60 would make that specification the law, and it would give California citizens the right to sue a studio or a producer of a porn scene that doesn’t use condoms. That absurd lawsuit aspect of the legislation is what has opponents of Prop. 60 most concerned, as it’ll likely force most small time producers (who are also often the performers in the scenes) out of business or underground, making performers less safe. (Full text of Prop. 60 here.)
As detestable as he is, AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Michael Weinstein (the architect of Prop. 60) was smart to put the lawsuit language into Prop. 60, because the threat of being sued is pretty much the only thing studios and producers are afraid of, and it’s the only way the law might be successfully enforced. Just look at what happened in L.A. county after voters approved a mandatory condom law there (which did not give citizens the right to sue) in 2012: Nothing. State and county officials didn’t and don’t have the resources to enforce the law, and producers simply stopped applying for filming permits, or they left the county.
While Prop. 60 does have one positive component requiring producers to pay for performer vaccinations, testing, and medical examinations related to STDs, it’s ultimately a dangerous and worthless piece of legislation that will do nothing to prevent the spread of diseases, drive jobs out of California (if not eliminate jobs altogether), slash state tax revenues, and worst of all, put performers at risk of being sued and harassed by “porn vigilantes.” Speaking of which, Prop 60. was crafted and is being funded by a power hungry anti-porn zealot (Weinstein) with a well-documented financial and personal agenda against the adult industry. Every major California political party, newspaper, and health care group has come out in opposition to Prop. 60, and Str8UpGayPorn joins in that opposition. California residents should vote “No” on Prop. 60 on November 8th.
Prop. 60 will affect the straight porn industry much more than it will the handful of gay porn studios filming in California. If, however, Prop. 60 does pass, here are the gay porn studios that could be affected. (This list obviously does not include the hundreds if not thousands of individual gay webcam performers and smaller studios that shoot bareback in California, although all of them could absolutely be targeted with lawsuits, too.)
NakedSword
While NakedSword only shoots content with condoms in and around San Francisco, they do not provide testing, vaccinations, or medical examinations for performers. It’s not clear how, if at all, they’d be forced to do that under Prop. 60.
Raging Stallion/Hot House/Falcon
For the last two years, Raging Hot Falcon’s content was shot mostly in Las Vegas, but they’ve recently been shooting back in California, which would make them subject to Prop. 60. Like sister studio NakedSword (all of these studios are owned by North Carolina-based conglomerate AEBN), Raging Hot Falcon only shoots content with condoms, but they do not provide testing, vaccinations, or medical examinations for performers. It’s not clear how, if at all, they’d be forced to do that under Prop. 60.
Kink, Titan, Icon Male, Men.com
Kink and Titan shoot in San Francisco (Titan also shoots in Palm Springs, as seen above), while Icon and Men.com shoot in L.A, and all of these studios use condoms for their gay productions. Men.com is the only one that usually requires testing for its performers, while the others do not. It’s not clear how, if at all, they’d be forced to do that under Prop. 60. (Men.com could easily just stop shooting in L.A. regardless, as they already have production crews in New York City and Atlanta.)
Sean Cody/Bromo/DickDorm
These studios all shoot bareback content in the San Diego area. While they do provide testing for performers, they would definitely be subject to lawsuits under Prop. 60 for shooting bareback content. They’re all owned by the same large conglomerate (Mindgeek), and will likely move out of California if Prop 60. passes.
Helix Studios
Helix shoots mostly bareback content in and around San Diego. While they do provide testing for performers, they would definitely be subject to lawsuits under Prop. 60 for shooting bareback content. Unlike Sean Cody/Bromo/DickDorm, Helix is an independently owned studio that may not have the resources to move production out of state.
Active Duty
Active Duty shoots bareback content in and around San Diego, which would make them subject to lawsuits under Prop. 60. As of this posting, their testing policy is unknown. Because they’re owned and operated by Las Vegas-based NextDoorStudios, ActiveDuty could just end up moving production there if Prop. 60 passes. (Side note: Several gay porn studios are already filming bareback content in Las Vegas, including GuysInSweatpants, RawCastings, Corbin Fisher, FraternityX, and Sketchy Sex.)
Treasure Island Media
Treasure Island Media only shoots bareback content, and it quite brazenly and very obviously does not provide testing, vaccinations, or medical examinations for any of its performers. If Prop. 60 does pass, I would actually be fine with Treasure Island Media being sued out of existence. In fact, I’d probably be one of the first California citizens to file a lawsuit against them.
