Lingerie is an event that occurs at Tabard the Wednesday night before the big weekend of every term. On the surface, Lingerie might seem like some kind of drag show/striptease hybrid, in which Tabardites and other members of the Dartmouth community get up on stage and perform "acts," frequently involving nudity and/or expressions of sexuality. Yet however much Lingerie may resemble a strip club, that is not its primary purpose.
Before I start, I want to clarify that I am writing this column as an individual member of Tabard, not as a spokesperson for the ideology or views of the entire organization. That being said, the Tabard is a house whose ideology is constantly in flux and determined (at least in part) by its current membership. In that respect, I feel that I have the authority to share my own perceptions of what I consider to be one of Tabard's most important traditions.
Participating in Lingerie can be incredibly liberating for both the performer and the audience. I first attended Lingerie my freshman Fall, and it was the first time I saw people freely expressing sexuality in such a public way. Simply observing the performances of others opened my eyes to the diversity of sexual and gender experiences on this campus. And when I performed in Lingerie my freshman Spring, I experienced the other side of that liberation. I was able to escape from the limits of my comfort zone while remaining safe and supported by the audience and my fellow performers. Lingerie was a way for me to let everything go, including my issues about body image and internalized social taboos surrounding sexual expression.
Yet despite the positive effects of Lingerie, it has recently seemed to me that many people attend believing that the sole function of these acts is to "put on a show" for the audience. This misconception about Lingerie is a travesty. It assumes both that the audience has no role or responsibility in the event, and that the participants are performing for the benefit of the audience rather than themselves. Lingerie isn't a show for the benefit of a passive audience. In fact, it is nearly impossible for the audience to be passive at all. The attitudes and expectations of the people who attend Lingerie strongly affect the atmosphere for the performers and other audience members. It can be quite scary to perform in Lingerie, and a strong vibe of voyeurism or judgment can make the performers feel threatened instead of safe, objectified instead of liberated. Despite the sexual nature of many acts, audience members should not simply play the role of onlookers who get their kicks from watching topless girls gyrate. Instead, the audience should serve as a network of supporters for the people who choose to put themselves out there by performing. Cheering for acts is absolutely encouraged, even necessary, but that cheering should come from a place of support instead of personal gratification.
Lingerie is meant to be a venue for positive self-image and sex-positivity. I have seen this message of positive body image and self-love diminishing in recent terms, but I hope that it can be revived. Lingerie can and should be a place for people of all genders, sexual orientations, body types and general dispositions to express themselves in whatever way they see fit, be that by taking off their clothes, strapping on a sex toy, dancing the hokey pokey in jeans and a t-shirt or slathering themselves in peanut butter.
So, if you were planning on attending Lingerie to be titillated (pun intended), I urge you to attend with a more open set of expectations and even consider performing yourself. Lingerie can be an extremely freeing experience, and need not cultivate an environment wherein people feel objectified or unsafe. With the right attitude and the right atmosphere, Lingerie can be a powerful and eye-opening experience for everyone involved. So, everyone is welcome at Lingerie this Wednesday, but remember: It's not just about boobs.
