A formerly "ladies only" lecture at an Illinois library on the history of women's underwear was opened up to both sexes, but only two men attended.

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Ellie Carlson said she opened her Thursday lecture, "Unmentionables: The Rise and Fall of Ladies Underwear," to people of all genders at the Lake Villa District Library after some men complained about being excluded from the talk on items including sanitary belts, rubber girdles and thongs, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.

But she said only two men attended the talk despite about a dozen men reserving seats.

"In this time and age, this is rather naive and nice," said Alex Kondic, 43, a Bosnian native living in Fox Lake who attended the talk with his wife. "It was strange in this America that you hear men don't come."

The only other man in attendance was Rob Sherman, a Buffalo Grove atheist activist who lodged one of the complaints about the original "ladies only" policy.