A University Chancellor was Reprimanded for Inviting a Porn Star to Speak at His Campus. Here’s Why That’s a Problem.

The UW System is hindering public discourse, unfairly punishing one of its chancellors, and slut-shaming a woman for her history in pornography.

UW System President Ray Cross looking displeased about a different situation, but I imagine he had a similar expression when he found out about Nina Hartley’s visit to the UW. Image credit: M.P. King — State Journal

In early November, sexual freedom advocate and adult film actress Nina Hartley (also a Registered Nurse) visited the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to deliver a lecture titled “Fantasy versus Reality: Viewing Adult Media with a Critical Eye.” She was invited to do so by the chancellor of UW-La Crosse, Joe Gow, as part of UW-La Crosse’s celebration of Free Speech Week, the topic of which was sexuality (see here for more on Gow’s statement on his reasons for booking her).

I…selected Hartley because I hoped she would remind our students, faculty and staff that sexual behavior should only involve consenting adults utilizing safe-sex practices. — Joe Gow

In the talk, she discussed several topics — (obviously) pornography, but also the difference between fantasy in pornography and real sexual encounters, the importance of consent, and safe-sex…