The Vagina Monologues...

The Vagina Monologues is a theatre production that visits Hamilton annually to raise funds for women overseas living in sexually oppressing circumstances. I hadn’t done any research prior to the event. There was an all women cast and the majority of the audience were women. The production touched on stories of queer relationships, the sexual unconsciousness of women, sexual abuse in heterosexual relationships, political issues surrounding sex and war time, self-love and the ability of women to express feelings about their “down there parts”. While the show was not sexist towards masculine identities it did portray the grotesque nature of some male groups/individuals who had sexually miss-treated women. Soldiers were the dominant example. I constructed post show observations into the body language of the remaining male audience members. I was lead to understand that they were uncomfortable with women staring at them. The stories of lesbian relationships empowered gay women but gave subtle suggestions that heterosexual relationships were more abusive when sexual abuse can occur in queer relationships too.

In this embodied tourism experience it was most interesting to discover negative stereotypes being portrayed against the norm (heterosexuality). Depending on ones sexuality this experience would have varied in enjoyment for the individual. If I was a heterosexual male for example I may have felt uncomfortable with the performance. For female and lesbian observers however, the performance was empowering well valued.

Drawing by Jessica Keppel

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