College Says: Sex show 'Yes' -Cross 'No'

A promotion of the sex industry, G-strings, pasties and nudity included, is returning to the historic College of William & Mary, which earlier removed a cross from the famous Wren Chapel because it could offend visitors. Gene Nichol, president of the college that was a Christian institution at its founding, was the decision-maker when the cross first was banished from the chapel, then restored to a special secured case when alumni protested. He confirmed he would not alter plans for the Sex Workers' Art Show to be performed twice on Feb. 4. Last year, the show's appearance on campus provoked outrage from alumni and supporters who accused Nichol of staging an affront to religion and morality in light of his then-recent decision to withdraw the cross from display in the chapel. He said this year that students requested the show, they voted to spend campus funding for it, and he could not change that because of "the First Amendment and the defining traditions of openness that sustain universities." Rector Michael Powell said the Student Assembly this year voted to spend $2,200 in student fee funds on the show. "Can you imagine if a student Christian organization wanted the university to sanction its evangelistic presentation on campus in the name of First Amendment freedoms that Nichols claims to prize? No way," wrote one participant. "Nichol has already demonstrated his hostility to organize religion quite clearly. But organized porn? Hey, no problem."