AHF's Anti-Porn Vendetta Rages On

Here's their latest salvo, via The L.A. Times:

LA County supervisors urged to step up oversight of porn industry

Saying that the Los Angeles County Public Health Department has minimized sexually transmitted diseases and HIV cases in the porn industry, AIDS activists and former adult film workers on Tuesday urged county supervisors to step up oversight of the industry.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has already filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that the county has failed to prevent the spread of disease in the industry. The organization asked the court to require the county to enforce regulations mandating condom use in adult film productions. The county answered the court petition by suggesting that the public need is “minimal,” because there are only 1,200 adult film performers – less than .01% of the population.

“Would the county of L.A. say the same thing about 1,200 firemen or restaurant workers or bankers?” asked Jessie Gruttadauria, director of public affairs for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “How many performers in this multibillion-dollar industry in our backyard have to get sick before this becomes a public need?”

In June, an adult film actress tested positive for HIV. Also, county health officials released data that 18 HIV cases and more than 3,700 cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have been reported since 2004 by the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, a San Fernando Valley-based clinic. Clinic officials said the HIV cases did not involve active performers. County officials declined to provide any details about those cases and said little investigation was done. County public health officials have declined several requests for interviews.

Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, nearly 200 letters had been sent to Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky,[pictured] asking him to look into the issue and demand action from the county public health department.

At the meeting, Yaroslavsky called the health of adult film workers a “legitimate issue.”

“If there’s something we can do, we’re going to find a way to do it,” he said. Yaroslavsky said he has asked the public health department for a report on the matter and that it should be completed within two weeks.

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Of course, since we already know County Health's position regarding porn, the contents of that report aren't difficult to predict.

This is really all theater. The supervisors have little direct jurisdiction in this matter and previously showed no interest in it. I doubt they'll "find a way" to do much about whatever the report suggests. Among other things, even if the supervisors were so inclined, there are no funds and no resources to pursue some kind of action in a city that's flat broke and laying off cops and fire fighters. And whose biggest public hospital has been shut down by court order for killing too many patients.

You will note, once again, the recycling of that Big Lie about the "18 HIV cases" reported to County Health by AIM, even though C.H. publicly retracted an earlier claim that those cases were porn-industry-related. That's even admitted in the body of the piece, but in highly ambiguous language that's never clarified because the once very vocal gang at C.H. has been uncharacteristically publicity-shy on this issue since having to eat its words a few weeks ago.

AHF, of course, never hesitates to spread lies in the advancement of their efforts to create a controversy that gets them media attention so predictably. What do you expect from an organization that sues Pfizer because Viagra supposedly enables unsafe sex?

And those "former adult film workers" who signed off on this latest broadside – I find it interesting that they're not identified. Could it be because they're names have become so familiar in this dirty and dishonest campaign?

Also noted, not one quote from anyone active in the industry or affiliated with AIM appears anywhere in this piece.

Attention journalists: when running inflammatory stories regarding local individuals and businesses it is customary to solicit responses from those under attack.

Back to J-School for these Fox News disciples.