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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2002)
CULTURE .............▼............. Q » f Supreme court .c There was a lot to like about Coronation 2002 ‘Die Imperiai Sovereign %çse Court 4 m I and ■■■ !Miss (jay Oregon XXVlII Slfycia ‘Day inintes one and ad to 2002 All Nel ProceeJs lo lìenefil “Our House of Pori Litui'' To he beh! ni Darcelle XV 208 N W ini Anemie Nonember 20, 2002 Door ni 7 f>m * Show ni Hpm $5 Donalion For more information please check oui u>u’u> rosecourt ori) or AlydaDay.com 30th anniversary monarch Parcelle XV leads the crowd in “God Bless America” m • LAURE LHURST DENTISTRY C larice J o h n st o n dm d . & ASSOCIATES Treatm ent explained and discussed Teeth w hitening New patients welcome 503 / 233-3622 2520 East Burnside nvrviu urt w P A B A m he first indication we were in the right place was the appearance of a small parade of drag queens across the parking lot of the Holiday Inn at the Portland Airport. M en in slinky dresses tot tered by in heels I could never dream of wearing; ornate head pieces sparkled in the glow of the street lamps. We had arrived at Coronation 2002. Now one might ask what a dyke like me has in common with an organization like the Imperial Sovereign Rose C ourt of Portland. Well, they like to have a good time (as do I), they believe strongly in community service and involvement (as do I), and they spend a lot of time raising money for causes they believe in (as do I). This year the grand total came to just over $39,000. So here I was on the evening of O ct. 26 at the most significant event in the court’s yearly calendar. Representatives from as far away as Buffalo, N.Y., Chicago and Calgary, Alberta, were on hand to make their Empress XLIY Poison Marie entrances and to honor the dignitaries and titleholders of the Rose Court. Waters and Emperor X X Y II1 They were also there to recognize the ShelleY sav hard work of outgoing Empress XLIV goodbye in style Poison Marie Waters and Emperor XXVIII ShelleY and to cele brate the crowning of the new Empress and Emperor. O h, yeah— and they were there to have a good time. T he ballroom at the Holiday Inn is big. A nd it was packed from one side to the other with tables full of beautifully dressed members of monarchies, dapper- looking hutches and even a few PFLAG moms. Four bars kept the drinks flow ing, and folks moved about from table to table chatting and commenting on the show. O h, did I m ention coronation is really a big drag show that goes on for six hours? The Rose Court obviously put a lot of time and energy into transforming the ballroom into “Egypt: Adventure in the Valley of Kings & Queens.” Dominating the landscape was a huge pyramid deco rated with a king’s sarcopha gus, surrounded by trees and accented by screens depicting Egyptian-themed art. Outgoing royalty— Poison, ShelleY, Princess XXXII Mee- sha Peru and Prince XXVII by E rin S exton P hoto " by M arty D avis Pookie J. Bush— sat at the far end of the runway/ stage and accepted Newly elected gifts and good Empress X L \' tidings from Chloe Stone and visiting Emperor XXIX monarchies. Josef A. Eoxx As the entrances wound down, the stage lit up w ith sparkle-clad en ter tainm ent, including anniversary mon- archs Empress XV Darcelle, Empress XXV C ham pagne, Emper or XIX Jim Ploeg and Rose Empress XXXV M ichelle Craig. Now, Darcelle has made quite a name for herself during the past 30 years in Portland and around the country as a stellar drag queen and fund-raiser extraordinare. She still doesn’t dis appoint as an entertainer, trotting out no less than six sequin- and ruffle-covered dancers in Vegas-style leotards and plumes. In a show of patriotic fervor that celebrated the First A m endm ent and the beauty of this country’s diversity, Darcelle appeared in black leather jeans and jacket, topped off by a must- see-to-believe red, white and blue wig. She sang “God Bless America,” encouraging audience participation, and cracked her hullwhip with glee at appropriate intervals. W hat a woman. O f course, the crowning moment of the evening was just that. All the song and dance really leads to the final walk of Poison and ShelleY and the stepping up of newly elected Empress XLV Chloe Stone and Emperor XXIX Josef A. Foxx. After calling everybody who was ever involved in the Rose Court or who had a drink at Embers onto the stage, the crowns were passed on, along with the titles, and the new Empress and Emperor ascended to the throne. Q uite the regal end to an evening that can best be described as fantastic. j n E rin S exton is the Advertising Assistant at Just Out.
