In 1972, at the then Royal Inn Hotel the first Imperial Court Coronation was held, making it the first homosexual public event ever held in a hotel in San Diego. This past weekend, the Lafayette Hotel’s ballroom was standing room only as the 42nd monarchs were elected and crowned, Emperor XLII Robert Rodriguez and Empress XLII Miss Pearl.
Visiting royalty from throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico were in attendance representing the 68 city chapter courts that make up the International Court System which was founded in 1965 by World War II veteran and gay icon Jose Julio Sarria who passed away last year at the age of 91.
San Diego’s very own city commissioner, Nicole Murray Ramirez succeeded Jose and rules over the 68 courts in the three countries. Murray Ramirez was crowned “Queen Mother of the Americas” in 2007 by Sarria in a lavish ceremony in Seattle.
San Diego’s outgoing Empress XLI Candi Samples’ year-long reign was a very successful one with more than $80,000 being given out to charities and non-profits.
The court chapters have no paid staff or offices and are all-volunteer organizations. Collectively, the courts in the U.S.A., Canada and Mexico have raised millions of dollars these last 49 years.
State Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins and Interim Mayor Todd Gloria were in attendance with Atkins being presented with the International Judy Shepard Family Values Award and Gloria receiving the International Jose Julio Sarria Civil Rights Award. Both Atkins and Gloria, who are longtime members and royal title holders with the Imperial Court de San Diego praised the Court membership for their more than four decades of noble deeds.
Mayoral candidate and City Councilman Kevin Faulconer and his wife Katherine were also in attendance and spoke to the sold-out crowd.
Four LGBT students received grants from the Harvey Milk/Nicole Murray Ramirez Student Scholarship Program (founded in 1979) and during the weekend’s activities $4,000 was raised for the Tijuana AIDS Fund by visiting courts.
This Saturday, Murray Ramirez will be travelling to Seattle for a coronation marking the eighth anniversary of his crowning as Sarria’s successor.
Membership in the Imperial Court de San Diego is open to all and the first meeting of the new reign will be next Wednesday at The Center, 7:30 p.m. All are welcome. For more information call 619-254-6372 or 619-692-1967.
