election hangover

California Lets James Deen Down on Condom Mandate

Photo: Corbis

California lost some of its progressive cred yesterday when voters approved two ballot initiatives that will negatively impact sex workers, according to those in the industry. The first, Measure B, mandates the use of condoms on pornography sets in Los Angeles County. According to the Los Angeles Times, porn professionals are already threatening to move the industry cities, saying no one will buy porn with condoms. America’s porn-star boyfriend James Deen did a Reddit AMA explaining why Californians should vote no, although he was characteristically chill after it passed. “Now I get to travel … A lot!!!!” he tweeted.

The second, Proposition 35, further criminalizes prostitution by making it indistinguishable from sex trafficking — but more heavily penalized than labor trafficking — and includes slapping a lifetime sex-offender label on those charged with prostitution-related offenses. (Jezebel has a nice explainer on the topic.) Curiously, the blue state also voted no on labeling genetically modified foodstuffs and abolishing the death penalty, leading us to wonder if something was up on the West Coast yesterday. Mercury in retrograde? Opposite Day? Nefariously misleading corporate advertising?  

California Lets Down James Deen on Measure B