This past Tuesday the City Council of San Diego honored the Imperial Court de San Diego with a special resolution presented at City Hall, recognizing the court’s members for 40 years of noble deeds. Court members, including some who were involved in the establishment of the Imperial Court in the early 1970s, attended the City Council event, with many dressed in their royal attire.
The International Court System of the United States, Canada and Mexico is one of the oldest LGBT organizations in the world, having been founded in 1965 in San Francisco with the crowning of Empress I Jose Julio Sarria, a World War II veteran who, in 1961, became the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in North America. Jose was a popular Latino entertainer who sang the opera at the then world famous Black Cat bar.
Soon after the founding of the San Francisco Court, chapters were established throughout the 1960s and ’70s across Canada and the United States; now almost seventy cities within these two nations and Mexico have Imperial Courts.
In 1971 Don Laverne and Darl Edwards started planning for the coronation and election of San Diego’s first gay monarchs, and in 1972 more than 25 candidates filed to run for Emperor I and Empress I “de” San Diego. Elected at the first gay event held in a public hotel in San Diego were Swing bartender, Omar Lowry and African American showbiz nightclub entertainer Tawny Tann. Lowry, who is now 68 years old and owner of #1 Fifth Ave. bar remembers those early years well. He recently said that the Imperial Court was then the only vehicle that brought the community together to raise funds for gay and non-gay causes.
Emperor I Omar remembers that most GLBT San Diegans were deep in their closets, and that it wasn’t until 1976 that California legalized homosexuality for consenting adults. Emperor I Omar and 72-year-old Empress II Toby Lear, Empress XXXV Norma Braxton as well as Empress V and Empress XI Graig Morgan (aka Morgana), each of who have served as leaders of San Diego’s Court since the early 1970s, will be honored at Saturday’s 40th Anniversary Coronation Ball.
“The Imperial Court and the titles of emperor and empress were more than just a dream to many of us, but were instruments to use our talents to help and build our community in a very productive and creative manner,” said Empress V Morgana. Indeed, the Imperial Court de San Diego has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help fund and establish San Diego LGBT Pride, The Center, AIDS Walk San Diego to name but a few.
The Imperial Court de San Diego, five years ago, became the home of the successor to Empress I Jose who crowned this reporter, “Nicole Murray Ramirez Queen Mother I of the Americas.” I was humbled by the responsibilities entrusted to me as the titular leader of the Imperial Court’s 70 city chapters.
Given our community’s difficult struggle for acceptance in those early years, it sometimes seems surreal the same Nicole Murray Ramirez, many would say has had a long and colorful history as a gay activist in San Diego, who, as fourth elected empress (Empress IV de San Diego in 1974) joined with many passionate court members to raise funds to fight Anita Bryant (1977) and the Briggs initiative in 1978. The leadership responsibilities entrusted to me within the court system have been daunting at times; but always exciting. It was an honor to meet and work with Harvey Milk, Rev. Troy Perry, Morris Kight, Robin Tyler and many more national LGBT leaders.
With the help of highly committed court members and my good fortune of having been chosen to work as chairman and CEO of the International Court Council of Canada, USA and Mexico we were able to lead successful fundraising campaigns. In a few short years, we have raised more than $200,000 for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, the Harvey Milk Foundation and the Trevor Project.
The best way to describe the Imperial Court chapters is that we are the GLBT Shriners and Elks of the world. The Imperial Court’s coronation balls were the first gay hotel events that elected government officials ever attended, with the attendance of then city councilman and later Congressman Jim Bates as well state Assemblyman Peter Chacon.
Through the years, we have established such ongoing programs as the Toys for Kids drive (in the 1970s the U.S. Marine Corps refused to accept toys from the homosexual community), Harvey Milk/NMR student scholarship (established in 1979), the Toni Atkins Lesbian Health Fund, Children’s Easter Egg Hunt, Tijuana AIDS Fund, holiday food and blanket drive, Ben F. Dillingham Community Grant, the Queen Eddie GLBT Youth Fund and many other community programs.
During the early years of the AIDS crisis the Imperial Court provided seed money for the AIDS Assistance Fund, Mama’s Kitchen, AIDS Walk and many other HIV/AIDS agencies.
Amazingly, all of the San Diego court’s accomplishments through the years we’re done without paid staff or even an office. Most recently, during their year-long reign alone, Emperor Allan Spyere and Empress Erika have given out more than $70,000 in grants.
“I know the good we have done for others has been returned to richly bless all of us of the Imperial Court,” stated Empress V Morgana.
For further information on the Imperial Court de San Diego and the upcoming 40th anniversary events: 619-254-6372 or 619-403-1858. Note: the state dinner event on Friday is already sold out, but there are other opportunities to be a part of the celebration.
