After talking with LJ Steele, the 35th Elected Emperor of the Imperial and Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose (ISCWR), and learning about the significant amount of community work that he does on behalf of the organization, it’s no wonder he signs his emails with nearly 20 titles.  Personally, my favourite is "the Club Car Bartender On The North Line Of The Hot Mess Express." Perhaps that’s because I can relate more to that than other ones like "Personal Puppy Prince of Leather."  But, don’t pre-judge my naiveté, the Emperor doesn’t. He leads me through this by the hand, as it were.

As many of us already know, the ISCWR is a non-profit social association that fundraises for charities and other organizations that serve the LGBT community of Edmonton.  They are the organization behind many of the drag shows and drag-related events held year round in Edmonton.

The Court system is based on the Czarist Russian model, with an Upper House of Emperor/Empress, Prince/Princess, Duke/Duchess, and then a Lower House of Lords, Ladies, and Knights.

LJ began his involvement with the ISCWR only 7 years ago.  He explained to me that each year, each Imperial Court Chapter chooses their charities.  Usually there are one or two recurring charities for the organization, and then the Emperor and Empress each choose one that is a "dear cause to their own hearts."

"This year the Court has four charities, one of which is Camp fYrefly, which is the leadership [camp] for GLBT youth in Alberta...  Our second charity is a bursary fund for continuing GLBT education: the John M. Kerr Bursary Fund..."

"Our empress has chosen [a Prostate Cancer foundation] as her charity, and I..."  He pauses thoughtfully.  "Two years ago I attended a Coronation in Omaha, Nebraska. They have a camp there for families affected by HIV, and I got so inspired that I looked into that when I came back to Edmonton. I found there were only two of those camps within Canada: one in BC, and one in Ontario."

So he worked to formulate a partnership between Alberta Health Services, HIV Edmonton, and the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose. "Millicent’s Red Diamond Retreat" was born, named for the rarest of the famous gem, and the first ISCWR Empress of Edmonton. It’s a place for children and their families, affected by HIV, to share experience and to relate to others facing the same health and social challenges.

But a Social Association like the ISCWR isn’t all about work.

"There are two aspects to fun within our organization," LJ says in a less officious manner. "The first is having fun in our community alone. Whether we have a toga party, such as we just had this past weekend, or going out to the Team Edmonton mixer and donating silent auction items for their fundraising; socializing, having a few cocktails, doing a show for an organization like Edmonton’s Queer Prom . . . doing a show and having some beers and games afterwards . . . we try and do that with all the organizations of our community. Nothing’s more fun than a drag queen coming out, is there?"

He continues, "I will go to another city that’s having a Coronation fundraising event representing Edmonton, to support that city, fundraise for them, and have a great social experience. So this year, between my Empress and I, we’ve attended at least 18 Coronations: everything from Anchorage, Alaska to San Antonio, Texas, and from Halifax to Vancouver and Tacoma, Washington."

"And, all the travel is out of our own pockets. You can spend as much as you want being an Emperor, travelling to different cities, or spend as little as you want and focus more at home."

For anyone who has the aspiration of becoming an Emperor or Empress one day, it’s never too let to get involved.  It’s hard work, but the rewards abound.