Nine porn stars took a clever swipe at the Supreme Court's recent Erie v. PAPs ruling - they stood on the steps of the state Capitol May 9 in robes - just like those the high court justices wear - to protest the ruling that upheld Erie, Pennsylvania's ban on all-nude dancing.
It was part of the Free Speech Coalition's Celebrate Free Speech Lobbying Days. The nine porn stars - Nina Hartley, Annie Sprinkle, Juli Ashton, Devinn Lane, Christi Lake, Madison, LaSarra, Firefox, and Liza Van Dorn - joined other adult industry members in protesting the high court ruling based on "negative secondary effects" they say are not and never really have been proven.
"We called them the Supremes," said the Free Speech Coalition's Gloria Leonard. "It was not a protest so much as it was a means of drawing attention to the ridiculousness of the recent (Erie v. PAPs) decision.
Lobbying Days is an annual symposium where FSC members get together in Sacramento to learn or re-learn effective lobbying techniques, meet with California lawmakers to highlight the adult business' social and political contributions and agendas, and catch up on the latest legislative developments affecting the industry and free speech issues.
Lobbying Days began May 7 with a forum, "The First Amendment: Who Needs It, and Why," featuring panelists from the California First Amendment Coalition, the First Amendment Project, and the Center for Investigative Journalism, plus educators and lawmakers' staff members.
