In Defense of Another

The pornstar Darren James contracted AIDS and at least one other person has already be diagnosed possitive. The below excertps are from an article in AVN from James's best friend.

Anthony continued, "I've known Darren for seven years and over that time he's become one of my best friends. I'm very sad about this whole situation that's going on and definitely I want to go on the record saying Darren is a good guy. He doesn't drink. He doesn't do any drugs. He's not gay and he doesn't do anything with transsexuals."

Interesting how we all have our own little realities. His friend associated drinking and drugs with "bad person" while porn is "career" or "good."
Later in the article he comes to a revalation

"…My feeling right now is that I'm considering not working anymore, not in front of the camera. Definitely, I'd never do a scene without a condom again. I'm confused. I feel like it's not safe at all to work anywhere – LA, Brazil, Europe, Japan. At one point I thought it was fairly safe. Now I realize it's not. Being a porno actor is a high-risk activity."

Maybe he will find a different career field. Maybe he is fine, but many others are not.

"We're in really good shape as far as containment. This is early detection," said Mitchell, who worked in the industry for 25 years before earning a Ph.D. in human sexuality and helping establish the health center.

But that was little comfort to Randi Wright, an 18-year old North Hills woman who began appearing in adult films a month ago to pay college tuition. On Monday she filmed a scene with an actor who is on the second-generation list.

"I'm really upset. I'm angry at the person who brought it into the industry."

Wright said she has tested negative so far. She did not want to use her real name because her family does not know what she has been doing.

Other thoughts on the subject

Performer Gia Paloma, who was in the AVN offices a week ago to drop off a new title, Gia Has a Negro Problem – which has her on the cover with Darren James – said she won’t be working for a couple months.

"At least a couple months, if just mentally, because it fucks you up," she told AVN.com. "Is $1600 really worth cutting my life by 50 years? There’s no reason anyone should risk their life for a few bucks. You have to take a look at yourself and ask what you’re worth."

Paloma also noted that she is still being asked to work and that one company in particular had been particularly insistent.

source: Brian Flemming's Weblog

Posted at April 17, 2004 3:07 AM