BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – AIDS activists rallied outside the front door of Larry Flynt's company on Thursday to persuade the porn mogul to require condoms in his films.
Carrying large fake condoms, about 20 people called on Flynt's Hustler (search) label to adopt a 100 percent condom-use policy.
The demonstrators singled out Flynt because of his notoriety in the adult film industry and because of statements he made in a recent Los Angeles Times commentary that films with condoms "don't sell."
"We think it's Larry Flynt's responsibility to set an example," said Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Health Care Foundation (search).
Five porn actors were infected with HIV in April. The outbreak virtually shut down the multibillion-dollar industry when actors were put on a voluntary quarantine preventing them from doing sex scenes until they had passed two monthly HIV tests.
The outbreak led to an investigation by California's workplace safety agency and calls for state oversight of the largely self-regulating industry.
"We don't need any more patients. The recent outbreak in the adult film industry is an indication that the testing methods, which we think are very good, are not sufficient to protect the actors," Weinstein said.
A call left for Flynt Publications (search) representatives was not immediately returned Thursday.
Some of the larger production companies, such as Vivid Entertainment (search) and Wicked Pictures (search), require condom use. The industry also relies on monthly HIV tests administered by the nonprofit Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation (search).
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