Porn Film Screening Cancelled At Maryland University

The University of Maryland has cancelled this weekend's screening of a hardcore porn flick after state lawmakers objected and threatened to cut funding to the state university.

UM President C.D. Mote Jr. decided to cancel the screening of the film, which was to be shown at the student union and had been approved by a student programming committee, after a debate broke out Thursday over the screening.

"That's really not what Maryland residents send their young students to college campus for -- to view pornography," said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller.

He acknowledged the legislature shouldn't get involved in censoring movies, but said the General Assembly is not going to support the screening of hardcore porn on a state campus paid for by taxpayer dollars.

Sen. Andrew P. Harris, a Republican from Baltimore and Harford counties, suggested amending the state's annual budget to deny any funding to a higher education institution that allows a public screening of a film marketed as an "XXX-rated adult film," unless it is part of an official academic course.

Miller indicated he would vote for the budget amendment, which would deny the university tens of millions of dollars in state funding.

The chaplain of the Catholic Student Center, the Rev. Kyle Ingels, said pornographic films are "degrading to the human person," adding, "It really runs counter to our efforts to try to form people to be men and women who will go out and contribute to society."

Four years ago, the university's student union showed Deep Throat, the classic 1972 porn film, said Lisa Cunningham, program coordinator for the union's Hoff Theater.

She said she thought more movies would be a "good alternative to drinking or other dangerous activities."

"We thought this would be something fun for the students to do, especially since we're getting close to the end of the semester," Cunningham said. "We're a college movie theater and we thought it would bring out the students."

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