Kink.com Responds to Cal/OSHA Fines; Says They Will Appeal

SAN FRANCISCO—In a quick response to news received today that the California State Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) has levied fines of $78,000 against it, Kink.com has issued a strongly worded statement of defiance that also promises an appeal of the fines. "The majority of the citations are related to relatively minor issues, such as extension cord violations and paperwork, which... are due to its ongoing overhaul of the 100-year-old National Guard Armory where they shoot," said the San-Francisco-based adult production company. "However, the largest fines are related to the company’s policy of allowing performers to choose whether or not to use a condom." According to Kink.com founder Peter Acworth (pictured), “The fines are excessive and, we believe, politically motivated. The complaints which prompted the inspection were not made by actual employees, but by outside groups with a long history of opposition to adult film. We’ll be appealing the citations.” One of those outside groups is Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which Kink calls "a longtime opponent of the industry," and a major instigator of the "aggressive campaign that Cal-OSHA has waged against adult companies in California in the past year," stated Kink.com. "The agency has been forced to respond to complaints filed by [AHF president] Michael Weinstein. Earlier this year, the agency proposed new regulations that would not only require condoms for intercourse, but also require barriers for eyes and mouth, including protective glasses for adult performers." However, in its statement, Kink notes that it "has long been recognized as an ethical leader in the adult film business, with a Performer’s Bill of Rights that explicitly outlines the right to use condoms." Jessie Lee, Talent Manager at Kink.com, added, “Some of our most popular performers always work with condoms. But many prefer not to, for various reasons including that they can be uncomfortable and abrasive on a long shoot. We’ve always believed that performers should be able to make that decision themselves. The government should not be regulating what we do sexually.” Diane Duke, CEO of the Free Speech Coalition, commented, “The inspections have less to do with risks to performers, and more to do with stoking public fear about adult film. For reasons that have more to do with morality than science, opponents of adult film have created a climate of harassment that is driving a legal business out of California.” The inspections, which were conducted last summer at Kink.com's home in the San Francisco Armory, came after two performers who had worked with Kink tested HIV positive. However, the statement from Kink.com states unequivocally that "subsequent testing established that the couple had contracted the virus in their private life, rather than through adult film work. "The last transmission of HIV on a film set was in 2004, after which the industry adopted strict regulations about testing," the statement continued. "Currently, performers are tested every fourteen days for a slate of STIs, including HIV. Both producers and performers groups have been outspoken in opposition to the new regulation." Acworth has detailed his response to the OSHA citations in detail on his blog. For more information about industry testing protocols, go here. Photo: Kink.com founder Peter Acworth in front of the San Francisco Armory.