Titan’s Bareback Policy

Oh boy, here we go! Let the games begin.

Titan Media has released, what I believe is, the first public anti-barebacking policy statement ever made by a gay porn studio. (Click MORE to read the original statement and their later clarification statement.) I would never have thought that such a statement would cause a controversy, but it has. Mark Adams, of Vidio View, has begun posting responses from individuals in the industry. There are some very compelling arguements made by three studios that produce barebacking videos, but I urge you to read all the statements and come to your own conclusions.

Here are the arguements in a nutshell:

ANTI-BAREBACKING
-people learn by example. It’s better to teach safe sex rather than unsafe sex practices.
-barebacking studios are exploiting the issue merely to make money.

PRO-BAREBACKING
-it’s a pro-choice issue, just like abortion. People should have the right to choose.
-the rise is AIDS cases is primarily due to lack of judgement caused by drug abuse.

Each side points out hypocrisy whether it’s employment discrimination based on behavior, selling pre-condom vintage movies, knowingly partnering HIV positive models with HIV negative models in supposedly “safe” scenes, and not requiring testing.

I think it’s time for the industry to hold a conference on the issue and meeting each other face to face to come up with some industry-wide policies and practices. Barebacking producers are not going away, and neither are the thousands of videos produced before the age of enlightenment.

Rumblings around the industry are that Ashcroft is going to be coming after the porn industry and they are going to hit us from an angle OTHER than Freedom of Speech. The new threats to the industry will be in the form of regulating it to death. Health and safety of employees and consumers will be one of the ways that government at local, state and national levels will be make it economically unfeasible to run a business in the adult industry. The industry needs to put aside it’s petty differences and develop a united front to prepare for the upcoming war to systematically discourage legitimate businesses from making a living producing adult material.

Who’s ready to set up a summit meeting of gay porn producers with health professionals, lawyers, lobbyists, legislators and spin doctors?FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Titan Media Public Policy Statement — “Bareback” or High Risk Behavior

Titan Media will not knowingly hire any model or performer who has
previously appeared in films that depict or portray “barebacking” or
unprotected anal sex.

During our model application process, potential models will be asked
about any previous involvement in “bareback” films. Any potential model
that has performed in any film featuring “barebacking” will
automatically be disqualified from performing in a Titan Media or
ManPlay production.

Models who have previously appeared in Titan Media productions, who have
gone on to perform in “bareback” films will no longer be eligible to
work for Titan Media.

We will however support the continued sale and distribution of
“Pre-condom” adult films. These films were produced at a time when sex
without condoms was not a life threatening behavior. In the same manner
that mainstream films of the 1950’s and 1960’s feature cigarette
smoking, but yet are still widely distributed and enjoyed, we will
continue to support the availability of “Pre-condom” adult features.

Sex without condoms in these “pre-condom” features was not a heath
hazard and was the accepted behavior at that time. Today’s “bareback”
films depict and eroticize high risk behavior as the centerpiece of
their sensuality – risking HIV is the fetish and foundation of these
presentations. We find this to be reprehensible and an attempt to
profit at the risk of the health and safety of performers and the
community at large.

Titan Media was founded on a core principle of eroticizing and
portraying safer sex practices. We recognize that some younger gay men,
and others discovering their true sexuality later in life, may adopt the
habits and practices they see in adult films and then take those
practices and behaviors out into the community at large. Titan Media is
dedicated to portraying and eroticizing only safer sex practices, and
leading by example for the benefit of all.

Titan Media takes seriously the health and welfare of its employees,
models and customers. As such, we cannot and will not condone or support
any performer or production company that produces films that promote,
glorify, or depict high-risk sexual activity in the form of “bareback”
or unprotected anal sex.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), “Abundant evidence
shows a need to sustain prevention efforts for each generation of young
gay and bisexual men. We cannot assume that the positive attitudinal and
behavioral change seen among older men also applies to younger men.
Recent data on HIV prevalence and risk behaviors suggest that young gay
and bisexual men continue to place themselves at considerable risk for
infection with HIV and other STDs.”

Titan Media believes that as the leading gay adult studio and producer,
we must take a stand and lead by example. Titan Media is committed to
continuing the efforts to portray and eroticize only safer sex practices
in our productions. It is our desire to ensure that prevention efforts
are sustained and promoted to the coming generations of young gay men
and the community at large.

Bruce Cam, Keith Webb, Harold Creg, Brian Mills
Owners, Io Group Inc. dba TITAN Media

_______________________

Io Group dba Titan Media, PO Box 411345, San Francisco, CA 94141-1345

CLARIFICATION OF TITAN MEDIA PUBLIC POLICY STATEMENT – “BAREBACK” OR HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR

 

Titan Media is gratified by the volume of discussion generated by the release of our recent “Titan Media Public Policy Statement – ‘Bareback’ or High Risk Behavior”. There is some misinformation about our intent that is being generated by others, which we would like to set straight.

 

Our recent press release states that we do not wish to hire performers whose commercial stage “persona” has previously appeared in films that depict bareback or unprotected anal sex.

 

The private and personal practices of performers will NOT be questioned or used in our hiring decisions. The private lives and personal practices of each performer is just that: private and personal. We have no interest in knowing what a performer does in his private life, only how he has portrayed his public and commercial “persona.”

 

When we hire a model/performer, we are hiring a public persona, not the private and personal individual behind that public persona. Most model/performers use a “stage name,” which is a persona or character they have cultivated.

 

We do not hire “John Smith” to work for Titan Media; we hire “Dred Scott” to perform in our features. One is a private individual, the other is a public stage persona created specifically to appear in commercial, adult film productions. The public “character” created by each mode/performer is his “brand” and goes with him in each film where he performs.

 

In the same way that many mainstream companies do not want their brands associated with performers, whose public performances are not aligned with their company’s message, Titan Media is making the same choice.

 

Performers who appear in commercial film productions that portray barebacking are not the type of “performance personas” that we wish to have represent the Titan Media brand, and therefore will not appear in our features.

 

Just as Disney is not going to hire a persona that has appeared in an adult film, Titan will not hire a persona that has appeared in a bareback film.  If an actor aspires to appear in a Disney film, don’t do adult films….and if a model/performer aspires to appear in a Titan Media film, then don’t perform in bareback films…it is that simple.

 

It is up to each individual performer to decide how to market and sell his public persona.

 

We at Titan Media felt that it was important to go public with our policy to ensure all model/performers were aware of our standards when making decisions about the type of roles and films in which they choose to appear.

 

______________________

 

Bruce Cam, Keith Webb, Harold Creg, and Brian Mills

Owners, Io Group, Inc. dba Titan Media