The Free Speech Coalition released an updated statement about the Coronavirus Production Hold.
Why did you do this?
We called for the voluntary shutdown because the State of California has asked all “non-essential” businesses to close—and mandated the closure of movie theaters and dine-in restaurants—in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Government officials in other regions of the United States and Canada have issued similar orders.
While most people who get the virus will only experience mild flu-like symptoms, coronavirus is ten times deadlier than the common flu, particularly for older people and the immunosuppressed, and the surge threatens to overwhelm our hospitals and medical systems if we don’t take immediate preventative action.
We are taking these precautions now to hopefully prevent a longer and more damaging production hold later.
Why is the shutdown “voluntary”?
We used the phrase “voluntary” to mirror the language used by the Governor and public health authorities regarding “non-essential” businesses, which called for “voluntary” closures. We also know there are many different types of production—such as solos, clips, customs, cams, fan sites, and paid social—that don’t require travel or crews. To mandate a total shutdown would cut off a crucial financial resource at a time when performers most need it.
For the same reason, we have not taken PASS offline. In this case, the overall health risk to individual performers is so far minimal, and not specific to adult sets or sexual activity.
Why only the US and Canada?
While we recommend that everyone in an affected area cease production, we focused on the two major countries covered by PASS.
Why only two weeks?
We’re following the lead of state, local, and national authorities and using the end of March as the prospective end date. However, as the past two weeks have shown, very little is predictable about this global pandemic. Our response will evolve with the situation.
What is FSC doing to help talent and crew?
We are looking at ways that we can help all workers affected by the shutdown, including direct financial assistance and connection to resources. We did not make this decision lightly, and now that a shutdown is in effect, we are focusing on helping mitigate its effects on our community.
