Imperial Court System
Encyclopedia
The International Imperial Court System (IICS) is one of the oldest and largest predominantly gay
organizations in the world. The court raises money for charity through large annual fancy-dress costume balls
in communities throughout North America
and numerous smaller fundraisers each year. Members of the group have said it is the second largest gay organization in the world, surpassed only by the LGBT
outreach program of the Metropolitan Community Church
.
. Sarria, affectionately known as "Mama José" or similar among Imperial Court members, adopted the nickname "Widow Norton" as a reference to Joshua Norton, a much-celebrated citizen of 19th Century San Francisco who had declared himself Emperor of the United States
and Protector of Mexico
in 1859.
Sarria soon became the nexus of a fundraising
group with volunteer members bearing titles of nobility
bestowed by yearly elected leaders
. In the United States, the first court outside of San Francisco was Portland, Oregon
who joined with San Francisco in 1970 to start the Court System, followed closely by Los Angeles
and finally by Vancouver, Canada (through an accord with Canada's Empress, ted northe, who founded the Canadian Court System in 1964; which created the International Court System). These empires operated and formed policies more-or-less independently until an Imperial Court Council led by Sarria was formed to prevent participation by groups that were not strictly and solely involved with charitable fundraising.
For years, some chapters of the Imperial Court in Canada remained outside the recognition of the Widow Norton and the Imperial Court Council for various reasons, some regulatory and some related to dispute over northe's title. Eventually IICS leadership recognized northe as the Empress of All Canada, thus resulting in most Canadian chapters joining the same organization as the American courts. In 1997, northe was among the first recipients of the "José Honors Award" handed out by Sarria.
Infrequently, a schism within a court chapter has given rise to a sub-group unrecognized by the organization as a whole. Most of these so-called "rogue courts" or "rival courts" have collapsed and dissolved within a few years.
that raises funds and awareness for various charities and people in need within its realm. Each chapter has its own board of directors
and is financially responsible for its own management. In addition to local non-profit status, many courts in the United States have Federal 501(c) status.
The Imperial Court Council is a separately-incorporated non-profit organization created to advise individual chapters and, when necessary, to grant or rescind recognition by the IICS as a whole. This group also urges a degree of consistency regarding matters of protocol via proclamations which are generally observed by all chapters.
On 17 February 2007, Sarria (who turned 84 years old in December 2006) officially passed IICS leadership to Nicole the Great, (real name Nicole Murray-Ramirez
), former 1st Heir Apparent
, in a ceremony held in Seattle, Washington
.
Nicole the Great had been the de facto head of the IICS for several years and has been assisted in this capacity by Empress Coco LaChine, Emperor Rick Ford, Empress Milo, Empress Jack-E, Emperor Kevin Drake, Empress Panzi, Empress Remy other Imperial Court Council members. Nicole the Great created her own line of succession to replace those formerly so designated by Sarria. Like those monarchs in the former line of succession, these comprise the Imperial Court Council.
, and Mexico. Some realms cover entire states, such as Alaska
, Hawaii
or Iowa
, while others cover cities, counties or regions, such as the city of Toronto
, the communities of Alameda County, California
or the Greater Niagara Region
.
Most chapters are Imperial Courts and are also known as "empires". A few chapters are called "ducal court
" (infrequently called a "duchy") or "barony" (infrequently called a "baronial court"). The term ducal court is typically used in the rare situation when one chapter's area overlaps with the territory of an already established chapter, as is the case with the Ducal Court of San Francisco.
The term barony is typically used when a new chapter has yet to fully realize the level of infrastructure and successful fundraising characteristic of those chapters deemed full-fledged Imperial Courts. Except for the titles used by the monarchs (i.e. baroness rather than empress, etc.) baronial and ducal chapters function in essentially the same way as those chapters headed by emperor and empresses.
Indicative of the IICS's continued growth, in the past decade, two of North America's largest metropolitan areas -- Boston
and Chicago -- established baronies which have since become prominent and successful Imperial Courts.
As the oldest chapter in the organization, the Imperial Court of San Francisco is considered the Mother Court of the Imperial Court System. The term "Mother Court" is also used for a court whose members establish a new court. For example, the Imperial Court of Rhode Island is the Mother Court of the Imperial Court of Massachusetts.
" (or "adornment" in the case of baronies and ducal courts) which is usually the chapter's largest fundraiser and is attended by both local people and members of other chapters from across North America. The evening culminates in the ceremony in which the new monarch or monarchs are crowned. The method by which monarchs are selected varies from chapter to chapter, ranging from selection by vote among the active membership in closed session months before the coronation to election by all in attendance on the night of the ceremony.
The office of monarch is taken very seriously within the court system and requires a large commitment of the holder's time and money. Accordingly, while the presence of an "imperial couple" is the norm, it is not uncommon for an emperor or empress to reign
alone depending on the availability of suitably dedicated and charismatic candidates with the necessary resources to fulfil the requirements of a one year reign.
In the most frequent case, several weeks after coronation the new monarch
or monarchs give out court titles at a fundraiser called investiture
s. The titles given to members vary from one chapter to another and are primarily left to the discretion of the reigning monarch or monarchs, the fons honorum (fountain of honor) of their chapter.
Typical titles awarded are Imperial Crown Prince
, Grand Duchess, Marquess
, Viscount
, etc. Other appellations bestowed resemble offices or professions within a medieval or modern noble court
rather than titles of nobility, such as "Court Jester" or "Chancellor of the Realm
" and so forth. These titles may be as serious-sounding or as humorously campy
as the monarchs wish.
Titles are traditionally based upon those used by Europe
an nobility
(especially the British
Peerage
) but nothing prohibits the creation of titles such as czarina, raja
or sultan
and these are sometimes used as well.
Noble titles are ranked according to an order of precedence
so that, for example, a member who has been created a duke
takes precedence over a member who has been made countess. The main effect of this hierarchy involves the order that members are introduced during "protocol", a ceremonial procedure endemic to the Imperial Court in which titles are read by the master of ceremonies
as members approach the presiding monarchs. This bit of pageantry, which is typically reserved for coronations and similar large events, gives Imperial Court members an opportunity to display their titles and costumes to the assembled crowd.
Monarchs, both reigning and former, are typically allowed to create various societies, club
s, houses, fraternities, sonorities and so forth. These are typically for the sole purpose of granting membership to people they wish to honor. Many of these have colorful names that are grandiose, humorous or both. Examples include the Bad Boy Club, the House of Ooga Booga, the Order of Blender Shots, the Order of the Far East, the Order of La Vaca Grande, etc. In some cases, membership is exclusive; in other cases, it is granted relatively indiscriminately. Unlike titles, these memberships are rarely if ever regulated by chapters' by-laws or boards of directors.
Similar to society memberships are "family titles". Monarchs often name people as brothers, uncles, and so forth. These are likewise typically unregulated within the system and may be granted as freely or as sparingly as a monarch wishes.
's renowned "Night of a Thousand Gowns" has resulted in $67,000 of donations for its charitable recipients in a single weekend. Since its inception, the Imperial Court de San Diego has raised at least $25 million. In 2008 (Reign 22), The Imperial Court of Toronto awarded their charities $60,000 under Emperor 22 Hunter James and Empress 22 Tiffany Louise-Charles.
Each court conducts numerous fundraisers throughout the year. Drag shows, raging in size from performances at local bars to events in hotel ballrooms and other large venues, are the main way in which revenue is raised for charity. Especially in recent years, court chapters have diversified their fundraising strategies so as to include yard sales, gift raffle
s, etc. Court members also solicit donations at LGBT
events, gay pride parades and other public events at which they appear.
Imperial Court chapters donate the funds raised to a variety of causes including those related to AIDS
, breast cancer
, domestic abuse, and homelessness
. Empires have also established or contributed to a variety of scholarships. Court chapters receive frequent recognition by elected officials and celebrities for their humanitarian contributions.
Unlike many other large charitable fundraising organizations, the Imperial Court System is composed entirely of volunteers. There are no paid positions within the Imperial Court System and both the culture of the Court System and the regulations set down by the boards of directors
of each chapter prohibit any member from profiting from the Imperial Court or its activities. Rather, depending on individual level of involvement with the system, many court members spend hundreds or thousands of dollars of their own money each year on costumes, travel to events in other parts of North America, and donations to various charitable beneficiaries.
people (gay men especially), membership is open to all. Gay, bisexual
, transgender and straight people have all served as monarchs and court members in the system's history. Drag queen
s and other sorts of cross-dressers collectively comprise about half of the membership.
The Court System also appeals to people interested in various forms of costume and dress-up who are willing to lend their enthusiasm to the court's culture of charitable fundraising. Included among these are people involved with the leather fetishism and leather subculture
s, members of the Society for Creative Anachronism
and similar historical reenactment
hobbyists, various types of cosplay
enthusiasts, and so on.
Most court members, especially monarchs, past-monarchs and those aspiring towards a throne, wear an assortment of regalia
including elaborate crowns
, bejeweled chains of office and other costume jewelry
which is often custom-made for the wearer.
Competitive pageantry: Some court members have also been involved with competitive pageantry, especially drag pageants
and the various leather competitions through which people may qualify for International Mister Leather
. Like the IICS, these competitions provide an opportunity to garner titles while showcasing one's appearance and talents. Some court chapters grew out of the sphere of competitive pageantry and some courts conduct annual competitive "Mr. Gay. .." and "Miss Gay. .." (or similarly named) pageants as part of their fundraising schedule.
Ball culture: Less frequently, the Imperial Court has had overlapping membership and joint ventures with drag houses of the type documented in Paris is Burning
. For example, during the 1990s the annual "Snow Ball" in Hartford
was both a coronation and a competition in which contestants did "walks
" in various specific categories in order to win trophies
. The IICS has innumerable "houses" within its ranks as mentioned above. However, unlike drag houses such as the House of Xtravaganza and House of Labeija, houses within the IICS are not an important means of organization within the group and there is no limit to the number of houses to which a person can belong.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
organizations in the world. The court raises money for charity through large annual fancy-dress costume balls
Ball (dance)
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...
in communities throughout North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and numerous smaller fundraisers each year. Members of the group have said it is the second largest gay organization in the world, surpassed only by the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
outreach program of the Metropolitan Community Church
Metropolitan Community Church
The Metropolitan Community Church or The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is an international Protestant Christian denomination...
.
History
The Imperial Court System in the United States was founded in San Francisco in 1965 by José SarriaJosé Sarria
José Julio Sarria is an American political activist from San Francisco, California. Known for his years of performing at the historic Black Cat Bar in that city from the 1950s and 1960s, Sarria entertained patrons with satirical versions of popular songs and operas while encouraging them to live...
. Sarria, affectionately known as "Mama José" or similar among Imperial Court members, adopted the nickname "Widow Norton" as a reference to Joshua Norton, a much-celebrated citizen of 19th Century San Francisco who had declared himself Emperor of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Protector of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1859.
Sarria soon became the nexus of a fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
group with volunteer members bearing titles of nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
bestowed by yearly elected leaders
Voting
Voting is a method for a group such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion—often following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. It is often found in democracies and republics.- Reasons for voting :...
. In the United States, the first court outside of San Francisco was Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
who joined with San Francisco in 1970 to start the Court System, followed closely by Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and finally by Vancouver, Canada (through an accord with Canada's Empress, ted northe, who founded the Canadian Court System in 1964; which created the International Court System). These empires operated and formed policies more-or-less independently until an Imperial Court Council led by Sarria was formed to prevent participation by groups that were not strictly and solely involved with charitable fundraising.
For years, some chapters of the Imperial Court in Canada remained outside the recognition of the Widow Norton and the Imperial Court Council for various reasons, some regulatory and some related to dispute over northe's title. Eventually IICS leadership recognized northe as the Empress of All Canada, thus resulting in most Canadian chapters joining the same organization as the American courts. In 1997, northe was among the first recipients of the "José Honors Award" handed out by Sarria.
Infrequently, a schism within a court chapter has given rise to a sub-group unrecognized by the organization as a whole. Most of these so-called "rogue courts" or "rival courts" have collapsed and dissolved within a few years.
Structure
Each individual court chapter (or "realm") is a separate, legally-incorporated charitable non-profit organizationNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that raises funds and awareness for various charities and people in need within its realm. Each chapter has its own board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and is financially responsible for its own management. In addition to local non-profit status, many courts in the United States have Federal 501(c) status.
The Imperial Court Council is a separately-incorporated non-profit organization created to advise individual chapters and, when necessary, to grant or rescind recognition by the IICS as a whole. This group also urges a degree of consistency regarding matters of protocol via proclamations which are generally observed by all chapters.
On 17 February 2007, Sarria (who turned 84 years old in December 2006) officially passed IICS leadership to Nicole the Great, (real name Nicole Murray-Ramirez
Nicole Murray-Ramirez
Nicole Murray-Ramirez, known as Empress Nicole the Great, The Queen Mother of the Americas within the Imperial Court System, has been an LGBT activist for over 55 years and is currently a San Diego appointed city human rights commissioner....
), former 1st Heir Apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
, in a ceremony held in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
Nicole the Great had been the de facto head of the IICS for several years and has been assisted in this capacity by Empress Coco LaChine, Emperor Rick Ford, Empress Milo, Empress Jack-E, Emperor Kevin Drake, Empress Panzi, Empress Remy other Imperial Court Council members. Nicole the Great created her own line of succession to replace those formerly so designated by Sarria. Like those monarchs in the former line of succession, these comprise the Imperial Court Council.
Chapters
The court system has grown to over 70 court chapters in the United States, CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and Mexico. Some realms cover entire states, such as Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
or Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, while others cover cities, counties or regions, such as the city of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, the communities of Alameda County, California
Alameda County, California
Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state...
or the Greater Niagara Region
Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario
The Regional Municipality of Niagara , also known as the Niagara Region, or, colloquially, "Regional Niagara", is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada....
.
Most chapters are Imperial Courts and are also known as "empires". A few chapters are called "ducal court
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
" (infrequently called a "duchy") or "barony" (infrequently called a "baronial court"). The term ducal court is typically used in the rare situation when one chapter's area overlaps with the territory of an already established chapter, as is the case with the Ducal Court of San Francisco.
Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco
The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco, Inc., is a predominantly gay 501 nonprofit fund raising organization. Formed in 1973 as a more camp-oriented response to San Francisco's Imperial Court System by H.L...
The term barony is typically used when a new chapter has yet to fully realize the level of infrastructure and successful fundraising characteristic of those chapters deemed full-fledged Imperial Courts. Except for the titles used by the monarchs (i.e. baroness rather than empress, etc.) baronial and ducal chapters function in essentially the same way as those chapters headed by emperor and empresses.
Indicative of the IICS's continued growth, in the past decade, two of North America's largest metropolitan areas -- Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
and Chicago -- established baronies which have since become prominent and successful Imperial Courts.
As the oldest chapter in the organization, the Imperial Court of San Francisco is considered the Mother Court of the Imperial Court System. The term "Mother Court" is also used for a court whose members establish a new court. For example, the Imperial Court of Rhode Island is the Mother Court of the Imperial Court of Massachusetts.
Titles
Each court holds an annual "coronationCoronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
" (or "adornment" in the case of baronies and ducal courts) which is usually the chapter's largest fundraiser and is attended by both local people and members of other chapters from across North America. The evening culminates in the ceremony in which the new monarch or monarchs are crowned. The method by which monarchs are selected varies from chapter to chapter, ranging from selection by vote among the active membership in closed session months before the coronation to election by all in attendance on the night of the ceremony.
The office of monarch is taken very seriously within the court system and requires a large commitment of the holder's time and money. Accordingly, while the presence of an "imperial couple" is the norm, it is not uncommon for an emperor or empress to reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
alone depending on the availability of suitably dedicated and charismatic candidates with the necessary resources to fulfil the requirements of a one year reign.
In the most frequent case, several weeks after coronation the new monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
or monarchs give out court titles at a fundraiser called investiture
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
s. The titles given to members vary from one chapter to another and are primarily left to the discretion of the reigning monarch or monarchs, the fons honorum (fountain of honor) of their chapter.
Typical titles awarded are Imperial Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, Grand Duchess, Marquess
Marquess
A marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...
, Viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
, etc. Other appellations bestowed resemble offices or professions within a medieval or modern noble court
Noble court
The court of a monarch, or at some periods an important nobleman, is a term for the extended household and all those who regularly attended on the ruler or central figure...
rather than titles of nobility, such as "Court Jester" or "Chancellor of the Realm
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
" and so forth. These titles may be as serious-sounding or as humorously campy
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
as the monarchs wish.
Titles are traditionally based upon those used by Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
(especially the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
) but nothing prohibits the creation of titles such as czarina, raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
or sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
and these are sometimes used as well.
Noble titles are ranked according to an order of precedence
Order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments...
so that, for example, a member who has been created a duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
takes precedence over a member who has been made countess. The main effect of this hierarchy involves the order that members are introduced during "protocol", a ceremonial procedure endemic to the Imperial Court in which titles are read by the master of ceremonies
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
as members approach the presiding monarchs. This bit of pageantry, which is typically reserved for coronations and similar large events, gives Imperial Court members an opportunity to display their titles and costumes to the assembled crowd.
Monarchs, both reigning and former, are typically allowed to create various societies, club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s, houses, fraternities, sonorities and so forth. These are typically for the sole purpose of granting membership to people they wish to honor. Many of these have colorful names that are grandiose, humorous or both. Examples include the Bad Boy Club, the House of Ooga Booga, the Order of Blender Shots, the Order of the Far East, the Order of La Vaca Grande, etc. In some cases, membership is exclusive; in other cases, it is granted relatively indiscriminately. Unlike titles, these memberships are rarely if ever regulated by chapters' by-laws or boards of directors.
Similar to society memberships are "family titles". Monarchs often name people as brothers, uncles, and so forth. These are likewise typically unregulated within the system and may be granted as freely or as sparingly as a monarch wishes.
Fundraising
Due to the de-centralized nature of the organization and inconsistent record keeping in some chapters early in their histories, it is difficult to estimate the total amount of money raised by the IICS. Proceeds from the Imperial Court of New York CityNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's renowned "Night of a Thousand Gowns" has resulted in $67,000 of donations for its charitable recipients in a single weekend. Since its inception, the Imperial Court de San Diego has raised at least $25 million. In 2008 (Reign 22), The Imperial Court of Toronto awarded their charities $60,000 under Emperor 22 Hunter James and Empress 22 Tiffany Louise-Charles.
Each court conducts numerous fundraisers throughout the year. Drag shows, raging in size from performances at local bars to events in hotel ballrooms and other large venues, are the main way in which revenue is raised for charity. Especially in recent years, court chapters have diversified their fundraising strategies so as to include yard sales, gift raffle
Raffle
A raffle is a competition in which people obtain numbered tickets, each ticket having the chance of winning a prize. At a set time, the winners are drawn from a container holding a copy of every number...
s, etc. Court members also solicit donations at LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
events, gay pride parades and other public events at which they appear.
Imperial Court chapters donate the funds raised to a variety of causes including those related to AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, domestic abuse, and homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
. Empires have also established or contributed to a variety of scholarships. Court chapters receive frequent recognition by elected officials and celebrities for their humanitarian contributions.
Unlike many other large charitable fundraising organizations, the Imperial Court System is composed entirely of volunteers. There are no paid positions within the Imperial Court System and both the culture of the Court System and the regulations set down by the boards of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of each chapter prohibit any member from profiting from the Imperial Court or its activities. Rather, depending on individual level of involvement with the system, many court members spend hundreds or thousands of dollars of their own money each year on costumes, travel to events in other parts of North America, and donations to various charitable beneficiaries.
Membership
While composed primarily of homosexual and transgenderTransgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
people (gay men especially), membership is open to all. Gay, bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
, transgender and straight people have all served as monarchs and court members in the system's history. Drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
s and other sorts of cross-dressers collectively comprise about half of the membership.
The Court System also appeals to people interested in various forms of costume and dress-up who are willing to lend their enthusiasm to the court's culture of charitable fundraising. Included among these are people involved with the leather fetishism and leather subculture
Leather subculture
The leather subculture denotes practices and styles of dress organized around sexual activities. Wearing leather garments is one way that participants in this culture self-consciously distinguish themselves from mainstream sexual cultures...
s, members of the Society for Creative Anachronism
Society for Creative Anachronism
The Society for Creative Anachronism is an international living history group with the aim of studying and recreating mainly Medieval European cultures and their histories before the 17th century...
and similar historical reenactment
Historical reenactment
Historical reenactment is an educational activity in which participants attempt torecreate some aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of Pickett's Charge at the Great Reunion of 1913, or as broad as an entire...
hobbyists, various types of cosplay
Cosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
enthusiasts, and so on.
Most court members, especially monarchs, past-monarchs and those aspiring towards a throne, wear an assortment of regalia
Regalia
Regalia is Latin plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign.The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective regalis, 'regal', itself from Rex, 'king'...
including elaborate crowns
Crown (headgear)
A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
, bejeweled chains of office and other costume jewelry
Costume jewelry
Costume jewelry is jewelry manufactured as ornamentation to complement a particular fashionable costume or garment. Costume jewelry came into being in the 1930s as a cheap, disposable accessory meant to be worn with a specific outfit...
which is often custom-made for the wearer.
Related groups
Many court members are involved with other LGBT groups, especially non-profit groups that provide charitable services directly rather than providing the funds for such services as IICS does. Besides these, two specific spheres of activity have relevance to IICS history:Competitive pageantry: Some court members have also been involved with competitive pageantry, especially drag pageants
Drag pageantry
Drag pageantry is a highly developed form of pageantry for female impersonators and trans women, styled after traditional beauty pageants or beauty contests.-Pageants in the United States:...
and the various leather competitions through which people may qualify for International Mister Leather
International Mister Leather
International Mister Leather is an international conference and contest of leathermen held annually in May since 1979 in Chicago, Illinois....
. Like the IICS, these competitions provide an opportunity to garner titles while showcasing one's appearance and talents. Some court chapters grew out of the sphere of competitive pageantry and some courts conduct annual competitive "Mr. Gay. .." and "Miss Gay. .." (or similarly named) pageants as part of their fundraising schedule.
Ball culture: Less frequently, the Imperial Court has had overlapping membership and joint ventures with drag houses of the type documented in Paris is Burning
Paris is Burning (film)
Paris Is Burning is a 1990 documentary film directed by Jennie Livingston. Filmed in the mid-to-late 1980s, it chronicles the ball culture of New York City and the African American, Latino, gay and transgender communities involved in it...
. For example, during the 1990s the annual "Snow Ball" in Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
was both a coronation and a competition in which contestants did "walks
Vogue (dance)
Vogue or voguing is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1960s. It gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" , and when showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning...
" in various specific categories in order to win trophies
Trophy
A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...
. The IICS has innumerable "houses" within its ranks as mentioned above. However, unlike drag houses such as the House of Xtravaganza and House of Labeija, houses within the IICS are not an important means of organization within the group and there is no limit to the number of houses to which a person can belong.