The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) recently issued the following statement in light of “rising cases of COVID in many of [the adult industry’s] production hubs and a roll-back or pausing of certain business activities.”

“We’ve been getting a lot of questions as to how this affects adult production,” the organization wrote in an email. “As we’ve said in the past, we can’t say it’s safe to shoot most forms of content; however, given that there is no threat specific to the performer pool, we are relying on public health officials for guidance as to the permissibility of production in general.”

Read the full statement on the FSC’s website here or in-full below.

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Rising COVID-19 rates in production hubs including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and South Florida have resulted in a roll-back of reopening plans in those areas. As we stated last week, we can not offer any guarantees that adult film production can operate safely. However, as long as film production is still permitted in those areas, and there is no specific risk to adult performers, we will not be calling for any national or regional production holds.

LAS VEGAS

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has again closed certain types of business due to the elevated risk of infection. However, Gov. Sisolak’s orders did not include shutting down film production.

FSC is following the guidance of local public health authorities in Nevada, and more specifically Clark County. If mainstream film production is permitted by the regulating agencies in Nevada, so is adult film. FSC has NOT called for a production hold in Nevada.

FLORIDA

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has paused their reopening and closed certain types of business due to the elevated risk of infection. However, Gov. DeSantis’s orders did not include shutting down film production, and local agencies in South Florida continue to issue film permits.

FSC is following the guidance of local public health authorities in Florida, and more specifically Miami-Dade County and Broward County. If mainstream film production is permitted by the regulating agencies in Florida, so is adult film. FSC has NOT called for a production hold in Florida.

LOS ANGELES

California Governor Gavin Newsom has paused reopening and closed certain types of business due to the elevated risk of infection. However, Gov. Newsom’s orders did not include shutting down film production, and local agencies in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas continue to issue film permits.

FSC is following the guidance of local public health authorities in California, and more specifically Los Angeles County, Ventura County, and Orange County. If mainstream film production is permitted by the regulating agencies in California, so is adult film. FSC has NOT called for a production hold in California.

Does this mean it’s safe to shoot?

No. FSC advises against shooting adult film content with anyone who does not live in your household. While there is no threat specific to adult film production, the infection risk posed by the proliferation of COVID-19 means that it is still not safe to shoot in most areas of the US.

FSC has contracted CareOnSite Medical Services to contribute medical expertise to the continued development of our production guidelines. Medical Director, Chris Tang, MD, MS has helped us make use of available resources to further help you to evaluate your risk of infection and guide your decisions about whether or not to create content with people outside your household.

The COVID Risk Levels Dashboard map, created by the Harvard Global Health Institute, compiles data from multiple sources, including the World Health Organization, in order to create a continually updated risk assessment tool that shows you the level of risk by county or by state.

While we don’t believe it is safe to shoot anywhere in the United States, some areas are more dangerous than others. Shooting in yellow or green counties carries a lower risk, which might be further mitigated by following the recommendations in the FSC Health and Safety Guidelines for Adult Film Production. Dr. Tang cautions against shooting in any county or state that is red or orange on this map, even with risk mitigation strategies.

Image Source: Harvard Global Health Institute (as of July 8, 2020). Screengrab by the FSC.

Why are you not calling for a production hold?

FSC PASS has traditionally called production holds when there was a threat specific to the performer pool, such as an active infection.

We are not a public health agency, and thus are reliant on the guidance of public health officials as to whether or not production is safe. If they determine that, in a given locality, it is unsafe to shoot, we will follow their lead and call for a production hold in that region.

Is mainstream film really the same risk as adult film?

COVID-19 is not an STI, and while the science is still evolving, there appears to be little difference in risk between an adult film set and a mainstream film production that involves kissing or close or prolonged physical contact. If anything, the guidelines issued by FSC are significantly more cautious than those issued by the major mainstream production companies.

What does this mean for me?

We do not believe it is safe to shoot content with people who do not live in your household. However, we can not know the specifics of your situation, or the content that you intend to produce. We will continue to provide you with tools like the COVID Risk Levels Dashboard map and the FSC Health and Safety Guidelines for Adult Film Production so that you can make an informed decision about any risks related to the production of adult content.

We will post periodic updates about changes to the risk levels displayed on this map, and any changes to the orders of regulating agencies that affect film production in the US.