Z4
i ¡UStpUt
SLPTEM8t.R 21.200/
Continued from Page 23
For Creation, the Rose Court’s relevance can he
seen not only in its extensive fund-raising work.
“I hate to sound pompous about it, but |ISRC] is
like the ‘mom’ of Portland’s gay scene.” In fact,
Creation is not being pompous by ar^y means. The
Rose Court existed before Portland had bear events
or the perennial youth favorite, the Rosebud and
Thom pageant. Coronation itself is, for Creation,
more than just a chance for the city’s top drag
queens to show off their wigs and makeup skills. In
addition to the courts of other cities that come to
Portland to observe, Creation sets her sights on
another contingent that she feels benefits most
from the pageant itself: “Younger people will be
able to kxik at it and say, ‘Wow.’ It gives them ideas
and opens the dtxir for new possibilities.”
Creation is particularly interested in the queer
youth of Portland. When asked about her proudest
moment as Rose Empress, she gives a speculative
answer that reveals a lot about where her reign
oriented its energy: “Maybe 1 inspired someone to
be Emperor or Empress someday. Then I’m contin
uing the tradition.”
Tradition is, in large part, what Coronation is
about. The 40-plus drag queens who have held
titles have all had basically a standard, classic look.
They could easily be working at Darcelle’s. Entirely
absent from the roster is the unconventional kx>k
that has made Sissyboy as successful as it has been.
A telling fact? Even though the Rosebud pageant
is known for selecting drag queens with an “edgier”
look—such as reigning Rosebud XXX Jackie
Daniels, known for her massive pink wigs and ’80s-
style clothing—only two of the 31 Rosebuds (Rose
Empress XXIX Lady Elaine Peacock and Rose
Empress XLIV Poison Waters) have ever graduated
to the title of Empress.
Pictures of the lion’s share of titleholders are
online at the Rose Court’s Web site. Take a peek at
the ghosts of Empresses past and you’ll find a pret
ty narrow aesthetic of naturalistic—albeit glammed
up like Vegas showgirls—looking women not
dissimilar from a straight beauty pageant. There is
no pink and black zebra print, no garish blue bee
hive wigs, and Empresses’ makeup more resembles
a Southern Baptist preacher’s wife than anything
you’re going to find in the trans community.
But Coronation does stand out in one impor-
<1
Rose Emperor XXXIII Don Hood and Rose Empress XLVIII Dawna Creation help raise money for
breast cancer research, scholarships funds and HIV/AIDS charities.
tant respect. In a state that had a Board of Eugenics
(later renamed as the friendlier-sounding Board of
Social Protection) in 1983, the Rose Court is
distinguished by not shying away from giving the
tiara to queens of color.
Rose Emperor XXXIII Don Htxxl is noticeably
different from Creation; however, he complements
her in a way that makes these differences difficult
to tease out. Like an old couple who have been
living together for decades, it’s easy to imagine that
the two monarchs are capable of finishing each
other’s sentences. While Creation was made into
a monarch one fateful, boring night, Hood is pure
bred royalty. He has all the trappings of a queer
aristocrat. It would not be the least bit surprising to
find his bookshelf tilled with poetry from the
Romantic era and his basement stocked with tine
vintage wines. On the rare occasion when he does
drag (such as at Turnabout, a special event where
men who do not normally dress as women do so
and vice versa), it’s genderfuck drag—meaning that
he does not really bother to look like a woman, he
just looks like himself in women’s clothing.
However, Htxxl’s interest in ISRC has less to do
with a passing interest in drag and more to do with
that ubiquitous community. He comes out of the
leather and bear communities. The leather commu
nity is among the biggest supporters of the court.
Htxxl knew a lot of people in the ctxirt because of the
overlap, and after slowly working his way into its
gtxxl graces, he decided to run for Emperor. He had
previously been Mr. Oregon State Leather 1998-
1999, a title with a larger geographical scope than the
Rose Empress but with just as much responsibility.
Hood’s reasons for wanting to be Emperor are
similar to Creation’s. He ran because he already
believed strongly in what the court was doing with
its fund raising. While he concedes that he could
have raised money without the title, he adds that
ni \ m t ii \x \x
The Imperial Sovereign Rose Court presents
C oronation 2007 5 p.m. Oct. 20 at Crystal
Ballroom, 1332 W. Bumside St. This year's theme is
“Once Upon a Mattress: A Night in the Monarch’s
Bordello." Tickets are $45-$50 from Ticketmaster.
For a complete schedule of related events, visit
www. rosecourt. org.
N1CK P ell is a freelance writer living 15 minutes
from H.P. Lovecraft’s grave. He is also the editor in
chief of Key64 net and the event director of esoZone.
Complaints and offers of marriage can be sent to
nick@esozone.com.
Coventry
rÄ Call: 503 484 8739
r\in
“the title certainly helps” with his efforts. Without
the slightest trace of irony or duplicity, Htxxl states
that Emperor “was a way for me to give back a lit
tle of myself.”
But what does the pageant itself accomplish? In
other words, why not just do queer fund raising
minus what some queers of the younger generation
consider an essentially conservative and ghettoizing
event? Again, Htxxl falls back on the same explana
tions offered by Creation. The connections that are
made between communities cannot be overvalued.
But Htxxl makes an excellent point about account
ability: “The audiences are going to be there to hold
those people accountable.”
While ISRC styles itself as a monarchy, it cer
tainly is a constitutional monarchy—titleholders
have been stripped of the crown. Taking the
constitutional monarchist analogy further, Hood
describes the job itself as being "the ambassadors for
the city of Portland and the gay community...it’s
a community outreach base for telling people about
Portland and about the community.” In a sense, if
you aren’t involved in these communities; it’s hard
to complain that you aren’t being represented.
ISRC’s membership is open to anyone living in the
area older than 21.
Beyond the community outreach aspect of the
court, Hood considers his title a great opportunity
for personal growth. When asked about his best
moment as Emperor, he doesn’t have a specific
answer. Instead, he talks about the intimate friend
ship he has developed with the Empress—he refers
to Creation as his “title wife for the rest of my life.”
Htxxl was also happy to shed light on the
enigmatic positions of Prince and Princess. These
are unelected positions chosen by the reigning
monarchs. But even at ISRC’s Web site, the whys
and wherefores are not terribly clear. Hood is
straightforward about why he chose his rather
impressively titled His Most Imperial Highness
Imperial Prince XXXII Heather DeVore (who, as
his name would imply, is genetically female):
“Because they were one of my best friends.”
But what makes a good Prince or Princess
generally? “The commitment that they give to
their Emperor or Empress. Are they going to be
there in the drop of a hat when you say, ‘Hey, we
have a function—get dressed, let’s go’?”
This kind of total commitment is absolutely
required by the court. Creation said the worst part
of holding the title was the time that she had to
spend away from her lover. ISRC is definitely not
a place for the lazy.
In the final analysis, maybe the Rose Court isn’t
groundbreaking. Maybe it no longer transgresses
boundaries an<J smashes taboos like it did 50 years
ago when it first started. But maybe even those ques
tions betray a particular bias. It doesn’t seem much
to matter if the court does any of these things that
seem of rather dubious utility. More important is the
fund raising and community work that it does—
things that can be viewed, verified, quantified and
talked about in terms other than one’s own opinions.
Further, the Rose Court represents tradition in
an ever-changing world. It provides a link to a col
lective past that still stands at the genesis of any
number of queer subcultures that have emerged
during the past 10 to 20 years.
It’s also a damn good time. And that has a val
ue all its own. Put on a vintage suit, order yourself
a Tom Collins, and check out a noble throwback to
the very beginnings of contemporary queer cul
ture. Don’t forget to bring your checkbook to make
a donation to one of the many great charities that
ISRC is committed to supporting. ©
w wu .I’D.Xequits leam.com
(ijiO'-W'n'inM
H t=J
CHECK
OUT YOUR
LOCAL*
Cycle (/Works
1927 BUNGALOW - LIKE NEW!
Cute 3bd w/mtxlem amenities, hrdwds, ffpl,
built-ins, breakfast nook, gardeners pvt backyard,
Quite street in Roseway neighborhixxJ. $319,900
1952 CAPE COD IN ABBOB LODGE
Serene bckyd w/patio, entertainers ktchn, hrdwds, hil
ly remodeled 2+bd Nr MAX & New Seasons
$249,900
REALTY REX
& The POX Tquity Team
Folding Bikej
...and More!
Open Tuesday-Sunday
(503) 230-7723
2025 SE Hawthorne
DHARMA RAIN ZEN CENTER
2539 Southeast Madsion, Portland. OR 97214
503 239 4846 www dharma-rain.org