UPDATED (7: 50 p.m.): "I stand by what I wrote,” Mike South told XBIZ.
LOS ANGELES — FAIR, which is funded by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, paid for a press release to be disseminated through Business Wire that states adult entertainment industry blogger Mike South has endorsed Proposition 60.
FAIR — an acronym for “For Adult Industry Responsibility” — said that South gave the thumbs up for the November ballot initiative. He “is undoubtedly rocking California’s adult entertainment industry today,” the group said. South is a longtime adult actor and producer, as well.
FAIR, in its release, said that South posted a blog piece on Wednesday with the heasdline, “Now I Can Say That I Support Prop. 60, Here Is Why.”
The text said: “[I] have to come out in support of Prop 60. There is an AWFUL LOT of mis-information about this measure, but when you read it and consider it and consider what it does and just as importantly does NOT do it makes sense …. Come on people this is just plain wrong. Is it any wonder that we are fighting this fight and the simple truth is, can you look at this industry and say that we are doing the right thing?"
FAIR said that South also “forcefully debunked the ‘sue a porn performer’ mythology that the Free Speech Coalition, the porn producers’ trade group leading the opposition to Prop. 60, has been promoting to incite fear and misunderstanding among performers.”
Rick Taylor, campaign director for the "Yes on Proposition 60" campaign, said: “We are glad to let Mike South’s own words — a blistering indictment of the industry, if ever there was one — speak for themselves in exposing the hypocrisy, lies and misinformation continually promulgated by the porn industry regarding Proposition 60 and thank him for his bold endorsement of this important ballot measure.”
In a response Friday evening, South told XBIZ, “As a human being it is the right thing to do if the industry will not self-regulate, and we have not. It’s very simple really."
South said: "I was not misquoted or taken out of context. I stand by what I wrote."
Pictured: Mike South