The occupational hazards for burlesque performers are many (think of the tassel-related injuries alone!), and many are uninsured, according to the organizers of an event to raise money for performers’ health care.

This Friday night, the H Street bar Red Palace hosts a fundraiser for Pastie-Aid, a fund that local performers can tap into when faced with health care bills. And the tales of uninsured woe that befall the burlesque types (according to Pastie-Aid, they could come while “twirling a tassel, juggling fire or snapping a mousetrap on your tongue”) might make for compelling first-person narrative on Capitol Hill, HOH thinks. After all, as the Washington Post recently reported, lawmakers are relying on such personal stories to make their case on health care issues.

Besides, a little sword-swallowing would really liven up Congressional hearings.