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.