Monday, October 17, 12:00 PM 6255 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles CA
Performers are angry about a proposition that would give one man near unlimited power to sue and harass them over the films they make
Performers are calling for a public debate with Weinstein, who has thus far refused to meet with them
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 17, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
WHAT: Protest by adult film performers over Prop 60, the adult film initiative.
WHO: About a hundred adult film performers from across the state
WHEN: Monday, October 17 — 12PM Noon
WHERE: 6255 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California (headquarters of the "Yes on 60" Campaign)
WHY: Proposition 60 gives any resident of California the power to sue adult film performers if a condom isn’t visible in an adult film.
If Prop 60 passes, Michael Weinstein — the sole proponent of the initiative — would become a state employee, with near unlimited power to defend the law and pursue violators.
Weinstein has so far spent nearly $5 million dollars on his campaign, and has continuously refused to meet with working performers about their concerns with the initiative.
Performers will be marching on the headquarters of Michael Weinstein’s “Yes on 60” campaign to demand Weinstein to stop his attacks on performers, end his dangerous messaging, and to debate adult performers about the measure in a public forum.
Prop 60 has been opposed by the California Democratic and Republican parties, as well as all seven of the state’s largest newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times , dozens of public health and civil rights organizations, over fifty state and local political clubs, and thousands of adult film performers . A full list of opposition is available at StopProp60.com .
The Adult Performer Advocacy Committee (APAC) has been circulating a petition asking for a public debate with Weinstein. The text of the petition is below:
We, as representatives of performers in the adult industry, ask that Michael Weinstein, the sole proponent and funder of Proposition 60, meet with performers to debate his measure before the November election. Our open letter is below:
Dear Mr. Weinstein,
As the sole proponent and funder of Proposition 60, we once again ask you to come down from your tower and meet with the adult performers who will be hurt by your offensive, dangerous ballot measure.
Over the past six months, you and your surrogates have attacked, degraded and demeaned performers. You’ve called us a public health threat, a bad influence, called us liars and lawbreakers and suggested we move out of state if we don’t want to be sued or harassed. Let’s face it: your campaign is not about helping us, it’s about bringing us to heel.
Prop 60 would give each of California’s 38 million residents the power sue performers if they see a film where the condom isn’t visible. It’s an outrageous violation that would open us to stalkers, harassers, anti-porn activists and, maybe most disturbingly, profiteers. As you know, your proposition offers a large cash bounty for successfully bringing each suit, then forces us to pay our harassers’ legal fees.
Oddly, out of those 38 million, we’re most concerned about you. We’ve seen how you’ve gone after performers in the past, particularly performers who work for themselves. We’ve seen how you’ve shamed us, sued us, and attacked us. Prop 60 would give you nearly unlimited power — and unlimited state resources — to carry out your hateful campaign against an already stigmatized population.
We’ve tried to tell you that condoms aren’t always the best answer for long shoots, or for every performer. We’ve told you how those who hate us will use the law. We’ve told you that we’d work with you in designing regulation. We’ve told you the consequences of driving the business underground. You’ve ignored us at every turn.
You may think you know what’s best for us. You may think you speak for us. You may think that you have a better control of women’s bodies than the women themselves. We have less than 30 days until the election. If you really believe your position, we ask that you defend it. We challenge you to a debate — a performer versus the Proponent — to help explain why you deserve a greater say in our sexual health than we do.
Come down from that tower — or we’ll bring the discussion to you.
FAST FACTS
- There are approximately 1500-2000 active performers in California. Nearly all have spoken out publicly against the measure.
- Performers are tested every fourteen days for a full slate of STIs, including HIV. There has not been an on-set transmission of HIV on a regulated adult set in over twelve years.
- APAC, the leading performer organization, has been calling for a meeting with Weinstein for over a year.
- Proposition 60 has been opposed by nearly every political organization and editorial board in the state that has so far weighed in on the measure.
MEDIA CONTACT: Mike Stabile Communications Director, No on 60 mike@freespeechcoalition.com 415.710.9184
