Read Part 1: The First Twenty-Five Years
Following their Jubilee anniversary, the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose (ISCWR) continued full steam ahead. The nature of the organization is that as one reign ends, another is beginning, so the morning after any celebration, the work resumes immediately. As discussed previously, the annual charities are chosen by the elected monarchs of the year, with the bursary for LBGTQ+ students remaining constant.
Up to this point, the Court was primarily LGBTQ+ entertainers performing for LGBTQ+ audiences in LGBTQ+ venues. With the start of Reign 33 in 2008, this changed in a major way. A combination of circumstances came together that saw the Court go very mainstream. The loss of long-time venue, The Roost, already had the Court thinking outside the box. Increased interest from straight audiences in both drag and fundraising were factors. But the single greatest impetus for the changes in Reign 33 was the accession of Empress Marni Gras following the tragic loss of one of her infant sons. Love and loss are feelings that transcended “gay” and “straight.” The selection of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (nICU) at the Stollery Children’s Hospital as a main charity for the year inspired passion and innovation within a community that was grieving along with their Empress and her family. Securing sponsors for the reign like iTravel2000 and WestJet added to the momentum. Local media attention helped along by events such as gifting a tiara to Global’s Su-Ling Goh also helped. At the end of the reign, funds donated to the Stollery were used for two special chairs for the nICU, and the ISCWR’s name is on them to this day, an ever-present reminder of the good deeds of the organization.
available to watch on YouTube.
That the Court had found the confidence and bravery to step outside of their traditional gay bar safety zone was good because, in 2012, Reign 37 found itself losing gay bars across the city. The loss of the community hub, The Junction, forced monarchs Vanity Fair and JJ Vellour to look outside, finding hotels and straight bars like The Mercury Room and Hooliganz Pub to partner with for shows and events. This was one of the reigns where the survival instincts of the Court kicked in and they shifted their focus to keeping the organization viable and the community together. Interestingly, their charities did not suffer; fundraising remained – and remains – the Court’s key mission.
