UW-La Crosse chancellor appreciates “rare occasion” of sex educator lecture on campus

“Sometimes we have people come that we don’t all agree with.”

That’s how UW-La Crosse chancellor Joe Gow describes the visit and lecture to the campus Thursday night by porn star and sex educator, Nina Hartley.

Hartley spoke to dozens at a lecture on sexuality, consent, female empowerment and more.

Gow says he hasn’t heard much negative reaction after the visit. But beforehand was a different story.

“Leading up to it there was some people who, I think, wanted to judge her based on her identity and her profession and I was very careful to say to people, ‘let’s have an open mind and nobody is going to be required to go to that talk.'”

Gow says he thought the talk went really well.

“She is a highly articulate, thoughtful person about matters of sexuality and has a very unique perspective. So it was a rare occasion,” Gow said.

The lecture was not publicized other than through on-campus channels. Gow says that decision was based on a desire to not over-sensationalize the event based on Hartley’s profession and the topics of her lecture.