Exclusive: Union To Host Porn Stars This Term

This term’s Union debates will include hardcore porn stars arguing with a chaplain as well as spies, judges and big name politicians.

The Tab can exclusively reveal that the Union will host a debate featuring porn star Johnny Anglais and the UK’s first female adult movie director Anna Span.

They will be debating the motion “This house believes that pornography does a good public service” with Shelly Lubben (right), a former adult porn actress turned chaplain and Richard Woolfson, a child psychologist who claims that pornography has a negative influence on young people.

Lubben, who appeared as ‘Roxy’ in films such as Bra Busters 2 and The Cumm Brothers 3, became a born-again Christian after leaving the adult industry and has described how young women are subjected to coercion and physical harm on porn sets.

The blockbuster Lent termcard, which will be published later this week, also includes appearances from film star Bill Nighy, Nobel prize winning Professor James Watson, one of the discoverers of DNA, as well as Miss World Alexandria Mills, British army chief General Sir Peter Wall and controversial US Supreme Court judge Antonin Scalia.

And among the biggest events of the term will be a talk later this month from Sir Ian McKellen, in which he will speak about his career in film and theatre, as well as his campaigns for LGBT equality as a founding member of Stonewall.

Incoming Union President Lauren Davidson told The Tab that the line-up was set to be “one of the most interesting and star-studded in recent history.

“The issue of pornography is prevalent in today’s society; it’s easily accessible online for people of any age, and seems to be increasingly covered in the news and on TV programmes. At the Union this term we’ve got the traditional debates on politics, foreign policy and the media, but I thought it was important to look at the bigger picture and debate a wider range of hot topics.”

The news that Cambridge’s largest society will be hosting porn stars this term comes less than a year after the institution announced that it would be hosting pole-dancing lessons, but students have greeted the move positively.

Girton third year Lara Frentrop Dicks said she is glad the Union was taking on the issue of pornography: “It’s something different and potentially really interesting – definitely more than most things they’ve had on recently.”

And a Jesus Nat-Sci, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Tab: “This is the kind of thing the Union should be doing. Some people might be embarrassed talking about sex, but with the government potentially forcing families to ‘opt-in’ to watch porn, it’s a great time to have the debate.”

Porn star and teacher Jonny Anglais provokes the kind of debate that the Union President hopes will be repeated in the chamber.

The term card also continues the Union’s tradition of prominent debates on justice and current affairs.

In March award winning journalist Michael Smith, former UK Ambassador to Iran Sir Richard Dalton,  author Douglas Murray and the Telegraph defence correspondent Thomas Harding will debate whether a nuclear Iran is preferable to war.

Lent traditionally sees the return of the annual debate “This House has no confidence in Her Majesty’s government”. This year politicians David Blunkett, Nigel Farage, Andrew Mitchell and Damian Green will get their teeth into the coalition’s record.

The visit of Justice Antonin Scalia, the longest serving US Supreme Court judge, may well ruffle some feathers come March. Considered the leader of the conservative wing of the court, Scalia has argued that there is no constitutional right to abortion, and more recently ruled in favour of Guantanamo Bay inmates being denied trial by jury.

In honour of LGBT History Month, week six will see speakers contesting the motion “This house believes the path to success is straight”. It will be proposed by Craig Jones, who was the most senior openly gay member of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, joined by Stonewall’s Hero of the Year 2009 Reverend Scott Rennie, an openly gay minister from Aberdeen. On the opposition will be Lord Chris Smith, the first openly gay MP and the only British politician to acknowledge that he is HIV positive.

The term will also see top speakers debate the Muslim veil, the responsibility of the press and the institution of marriage, among other hot topics.

Of particular interest to Cambridge’s scientists will be the visit of Nobel Prize winning Professor James Watson who will be speaking  about his famous DNA discoveries with partner Crick in The Eagle pub nearly 60 years ago.

The Union will continue its series of celebrity speakers as well. The famous debating chamber will play host to talks from Miss World Alexandria Mills (right), comedian Omid Djalili, Ashes-winning captain Mike Brearley, Lord Michael Howard, supermodel Caprice and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.

Clare fresher Evie Pritchard said she would consider joining the Union on the back of this term’s speakers: “I haven’t been to the Union but if the talks stay as varied and unusual as this, I’d definitely consider becoming a member. It looks like someone has put a lot of effort into appealing to everyone.

“I’m impressed they have the nerve to include so much lower brow stuff. I’d definitely want to see the pornography debate, and probably the beauty queen and Bill Nighy too.”

The termcard will be published this coming weekend on the Union’s website.

WATCH: The Word on The Street: Porn at The Union

READ: Tab founder Jack Rivlin responds to the news.

VOTE: Are the Union right to invite porn stars to the chamber?