Catholic students gathered Wednesday outside Hastings to protest the scheduled signing of Playboy's October issue by some of the students who were featured in the article, "Women of the Big 12."
Members of the Catholic Student Association protested in the parking lot for two hours, distributing flyers and talking with Hastings patrons. Inside the store, Texas A&M student Mary Beth Decker and University of Texas students featured in Playboy signed autographs and chatted with customers. The other A&M student featured in the magazine, Kim Hiott, a junior information and operations management major, was not at the signing. Decker is a junior agricultural journalism major.
The protest was to demonstrate that pornography is harmful, said Michael Murray, a member of St. Mary's Catholic Center.
"The pornography industry does harm to women and men because it makes it difficult to develop a healthy sexuality," Murray said.
Students in line to buy a signed issue of Playboy said both sides were exercising their first amendment rights.
"Just as we have our constitutional right to exercise free speech by being here, it is also their right to protest," said Justin Howell, a freshman aerospace engineering major.
Senior Vince Kessler said the protest was not neccesary.
"It's not any different than athletes signing autographs," Kessler said.
Playboy publicist Jody Grimaldi said protests have sprung up from time to time, but Wednesday's demonstration outside Hastings didn't deter Playboy fans. Everything is a choice, both for those who buy the magazine and those who pose in it, Grimaldi said.
"We don't feel like it objectifies women," he said. "It makes them look and feel beautiful about themselves. It is their choice and they are proud."
Some onlookers said they agreed with the demonstrators. Pornography has a negative effect on all aspects of society, said philosophy graduate student Ginger Gruters.
"Pornography destroys respect and love between men and women," Grutes said. "More than anything it is sad."
Local businessman Adam Hughes observed the demonstrators and the line of people waiting to get their autographs.He said that both sides had a right to be doing what they were doing.
"They are perfectly within their rights, just like she is, and they both have an intelligent argument," Hughes said.
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