SAN ANTONIO — When Riley Starr and Andrew Steveson first thought of the idea, they laughed about it.
But the joke soon turned into a serious idea that the pair of University of Texas at San Antonio students thought was worth pursuing.
So Starr and Stevenson started posting fliers across the Loop 1604 campus in an effort to stir up interest for what might be the first-ever pornography club on a U.S. college campus.
While the idea has sparked interest among some students, it has also been met with criticism.
“I had people calling me a whore, the school prostitute. All sorts of horrible things,” Starr, a stripper, said.
While many critics see pornography as demeaning to women, Riley said she finds it empowering and believes exploiting the positives of pornography could lead to safer sex on campus.
“All of the porn we watch, the guys are wearing condoms,” Riley said. “It’s always safe sex and that will be a big topic we will discuss in one of our upcoming meetings.”
The club has already met twice off campus and will hold its first meeting Thursday on campus, where members will watch pornographic movies.
“We want people to realize and be comfortable with sexuality,” Stevenson said. “I think we can bring a lot to this campus.”
The club can hold three meetings on campus before becoming an official student organization.
But in order to be recognized by the university, a faculty member must sign on as an advisor, which hasn’t happened.
University officials said as long as the club meets the requirements necessary and is not breaking any laws, the organization will be allowed on campus.