Quote Of The Day - Michael Weinstein

"Recent headlines that heralded taking medication as a means of preventing transmission of HIV among gay men were applauded by many AIDS experts. The news came in a study of nearly 2,500 men in six countries that found that an average man taking the medication was 44 percent less likely to become infected than a control group taking a placebo.

"How very sad that we have come to this point. The applause for this approach shows just how disposable we consider the lives of gay men. If we were talking about protecting the general population with a treatment that was only 44 percent effective, would we be celebrating? Yet that is how the media and most of the public interpreted this study. [snip]

"I applaud efforts to find new ways to prevent HIV transmission. However, far too often baby steps forward are interpreted as huge leaps in scientific knowledge. We must consider this if we are going to offer up hundreds of thousands of gay men for this misguided experiment." - AIDS Healthcare Foundation head Michael Weinstein, writing for the San Jose Mercury-News.

AIDS Healthcare Sues Porn Agents For Allowing Clients To Bareback

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles is suing nine porn actors' agencies for letting their clients bareback in movies. The lawsuit was filed with the California labor commissioner.

“These talent agencies are a pipeline for the procurement of young people for the adult film industry,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “It is reckless for these agents to jeopardize the health of their clients by encouraging and profiting from the unsafe, potentially life-threatening behavior of the models and performers they represent. Many of these agents are callous enough to describe the unprotected sexual acts their clients will engage in on a checklist on their websites as cavalierly as if one was ordering off a menu in a restaurant. We are asking the California Labor Commissioner to investigate and crack down on the illegal behavior of these state-licensed agencies.” The talent agencies targeted in AHF’s labor commission complaints include: A List Media; ATMLA; Gold Star Modeling; LA Direct Models; Lisa Ann’s Talent Management; Metro Talent Management; Spiegler Girls; Type 9 Models, Inc. and World Modeling. The agencies represent anywhere from approximately 30 to as many as 140 models and performers each, with a mix of male and female performers, however far more female performers appear on each website.

Weinstein told reporters: "If there were a construction employment agency, they couldn't say John Doe is available to dangle 100 feet over the ground without a harness. That would be shut down instantaneously."