House of Lewan discusses anti-trans and anti-drag sentiment

in the club’s one-year history, including Aranzabal and Baijiu. An important piece of the accessibility of drag to Dartmouth students is related to the fnancial barriers to drag, which the club has successfully mitigated through gaining COSO recognition and utilizing institutional funding to support student performers, according to Baijiu.

Many performers and leaders also refected on recent anti-trans and anti-drag legislation, as well as accounts of Dartmouth campus pushback to their artistry and mission on campus. Aranzabal explained the House’s reactions to these unsettling events, sharing that the House is

“very grateful to be a part of the Dartmouth community, which has generally been very accepting and supportive.” Yet, he also highlighted that “many performers as individuals and a collective have had our runins with anti-trans and anti-drag sentiments, and this can be very unsettling.”Aranzabal pointed out that it can be upsetting and, at times frustrating, to see the performers — who express their truest selves through drag — receive pushback and hate.

Many members of the House expressed that anti-trans actions and legislation has infuenced their artistry. Baijiu said the performers and organizers curated the 2023 Transform in direct opposition to recent events. The show began with news clips from reports on anti-trans and anti-drag legislation and ended with signs stating “Drag is Not a Crime.”

Student performer Mayari De La Mer shared that many performers have experienced both positive and negative impacts of recent pushpack to drag as an art form. According to De La Mer, these negative impacts have included “the challenges of knowing that people oppose the art you do and are trying to paint you in a bad light when you’re not doing anything wrong.”

However, De La Mer stated that the pushback has also served as inspiration for many performers to incorporate more explicit call-outs against this negativity in their performances, including the aforementioned incorporation of this rhetoric in this spring’s Transform show.

Harnois emphasized that for some performers at the House of Lewan, motivation to speak out at shows has been a direct result of recent events.

“We defnitely are aware of all the things going on — we’ve had articles coming out against us related to some of our past performances and what we stand for being twisted — so, I think we’re aware of that, but it drives us to push ourselves more, to keep going and to do our part to keep drag accessible in our community in the face of such backlash,” Harnois said. “We can’t be scared to continue to express ourselves and perform and put on these shows for the community.”

All of the members interviewed emphasized that in a time when visibility is resistance, it is important that the House’s legacy carry on into the coming years to support its mission of artistry and expression.

As members of the Class of 2023 prepare to pass the leadership of the House onto the next generation of members, they refected on their hopes for the House.

“I am extremely hopeful for the continued success of the House of Lewan to provide both a safe space and institutional support for drag on Dartmouth’s campus,” Baijiu said. “I would love to return in some years and see an organization like the House of Lewan to continue supporting students in drag at Dartmouth.”