SAY WHAT?

Come June, voters here will have a chance to cast their ballots in the presidential primary. Along with their presidential preferences, they will be asked to decide whether actors in pornographic films should be required to wear condoms.

For several years, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation has been lobbying state, county and city lawmakers to enact legislation that would force adult film performers and makers to use condoms and charge a fee to pay for inspections to make sure that they comply.

Growing frustrated in its efforts, the group moved this summer to get the issue placed on the city ballot.

“All politicians have treated this as a hot potato issue,” said Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “The city punts to the county, the county punts to the state, and the State Legislature has punted. We’ve taken it to the voters as a last resort, and that is testimony to the lack of leadership on the issue.”

Los Angeles County officials have said that it would be too difficult to monitor the pornography industry through the health department and that it is a matter for the State Legislature. But Mr. Weinstein said that the group had not been able to find any state lawmaker willing to introduce the bill.

---The New York Times article: Los Angeles Vote to Decide on Condoms in Sex Films