Former sex addict presents 'Porn Nation' in Schofield

Speaker talks about effects of pornography on relationships, personal story of healing

By: Tara Bannow

Posted: 4/21/08

It's perfectly fine.

It's disgusting.

It's cheap, pleasurable entertainment.

You'll be doing research and it just kind of pops up.

From a screen that filled the Schofield Auditorium stage, random young people shared their opinions on pornography. So began "Porn Nation" Thursday night.

Throughout the program, sponsored by Student Impact, a Christian organization on campus, the focus shifted from host Michael Leahy's pornography addiction to video clips featuring psychologists, former sex addicts and former prostitutes to Leahy's ultimate turn to God. The presentation, Leahy said, is designed to focus on the effects of pornography on individuals and their relationships.

"Whether we look at it or not - it's important to think 'how is it affecting how I view myself?'" Leahy said.

Some attendees said they felt the presentation was unsuccessful.

"I guess I kind of saw it as ineffective because it's really hard to change people's belief systems on that kind of thing," sophomore Erin Pellett said. "It was kind of preachy I guess."

Sophomore Erin Katterhenry said she does not think the presentation will change sexual behavior.

"That's a big part of our culture no matter how you want to look at it," she said. "I don't think people are going to be like, 'I might get addicted so I better stop.'"

Leahy said he was 11, the average age of a person's first exposure to porn, when he caught his initial glimpse of a naked woman on a playing card at school.

"I liked it," he said. "I thought, 'Let's go through the whole deck.'"

But that was not all he felt, he said, adding the initial excitement was followed by pangs of guilt and shame.

From then on, Leahy said he was very sexual throughout high school and college, and was married shortly after landing his first post-college job. However, that marriage ended in divorce 15 years later - a result of Leahy's infidelity.

"It was a very clear escalation of a relationship I started 30 years earlier with porn," he said.

Jake Mlsna, a 2005 UW-Eau Claire graduate and Student Impact staff member, said the group chose not to advertise the religious side of "Porn Nation" because it realized it might turn people off. Instead, students were warned beforehand and given the option to leave.

"We didn't want to feel like we were tricking people into coming," he said.

Pellett said she appreciated the warning, although it did not ease the awkwardness she felt during the religious content.

As a whole, she said the program was not what she had anticipated.

"I did expect the negatory remarks on pornography in America today and how it is everywhere," she said. "I didn't really expect him to break out the religious stuff at the end."

Leahy said he knows it is not easy being a college student and understands the pressures faced.

"I am a beloved child of God," he said "And he never leaves your side when you invite him into your life."

At the end of the show, students were encouraged to leave feedback on comment cards beneath their seats.

About 90 to 95 percent of the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, Mlsna said.

"Whether or not (students) agreed with it, they respect him and what he's gone through," he said.

Even some students who had not considered Christianity beforehand indicated on comment cards they became interested in accepting God after seeing "Porn Nation," Mlsna said.

"I think it lends itself to talk about God in a relational way and a way that heals things that are kind of broken in our lives."