Los Angeles's
entertainment industry is constantly under threat from
runaway production--films and programs packing up from
Southern California studios and moving to cheaper
locales in Canada or Europe. But now L.A.'s hold on
the gay porn industry is ceding to a much closer
neighbor--San Francisco.
The City by the
Bay has recently become the hub of the gay porn industry,
the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.
While Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley used to be the
epicenter of gay porn, many gay studios, like
Titan, Raging Stallion, and Hot House, are now
based in San Francisco's Potrero Hill and South of
Market neighborhoods.
"Now that a
critical mass of companies can be found here in San
Francisco, more outside companies find it beneficial to
relocate here to take advantage of the porn-friendly
climate," Chris Ward, cofounder and president of
Raging Stallion, told the Chronicle.
San Francisco's
influence will be acknowledged on Saturday when
the Kathy Griffin-hosted GAYVN Awards--the
gay porn honors--are held at the Castro Theatre.
Previously the GAYVN Awards were held at L.A.
nightclubs.
While the gay
porn industry, which constitutes about 5% to 10% of the
entire pornography industry, may be heading north, straight
porn still reliably powers the L.A. economy. (The
Advocate)