As you may already know, the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch is a non-profit organization that fundraises throughout the year for a handful of important charities. Every year, a new Emperor and Empress are voted in to serve as public figures for the ISCCA. With this fame comes a great deal of responsibility, as the elected Emperor and Empress must implement fundraising events and collect tips to benefit the organization.
The positions of Emperor and Empress are the only positions of power in the GLBT community that are voted in democratically by the people of the community at large. Thus anyone running for either position must campaign for people’s votes, and raise awareness of the group so that people do vote.
Much like our recent Provincial election, everyone in the community is entitled to vote once and only once for the candidate that they feel would do the best job in the position that they are running for. In the case where there is only one candidate for a position, that candidate must still campaign for community members to respond in their favor for a yes/no vote. If they fail, the role title falls to the most recent prior title holder that is willing to accept it.
This year there are four candidates for the position of Empress, and one candidate for Emperor. This article is an equal opportunity for all candidates to introduce themselves, and answer a challenging question tailored to them personally.
The ISCCA strives to represent all facets of the GLBT community, so polls are open to everyone. Take a moment to inform yourself about the selection of candidates, or speak to them personally as they continue to campaign at various venues and events. Votes are available on April 12th from noon to midnight at the Backlot (209 10th Avenue SW).
Candidates for Emperor 32
Ashley Noble Carmichael (aka Lady Ashley)
Hello everyone, my name is Ashley Noble and I am candidate for Emperor 32 this year. I am post-op Transsexual, and had my surgery 7 years ago.
Many people expect the Emperor to maintain a male persona during their reign, and we asked Ashley if she will be any different, and if so how it might affect her reign if elected.
To answer your question, not all Emperors have to be male. As in the USA, a few Emperors in Canada have been female. I will wear long jackets and pant suits but that’s about it. But yes I’ll be different this year, and I think it’s a good thing for our community as we are diverse. This will be a first for Alberta to have a tranny running for Emperor. I don’t see that it will affect anything. Hopefully more people like me will come forward. I’m very proud of who I am, and I’ve had a great response from our community – they’re all for it, and behind me 100%.
The ISCCA is a great organization and helps a lot of people in need. I am proud to have been a member of this for 8 years now. I’m sure the 32nd reign will be great! Vote YES for me April 12th at the Backlot, noon to midnight.
Candidates for Empress 32
Denise Derring
In the past I have been active in many GLBT communities. In Hamilton Ontario, with the help of four others, we established the first after-hours GLBT club, “The Nite Lite”, and entertained for five to six years. In Toronto I entertained at Charlies, Music Room, Melody Room, and 511. In North Bay Ontario, along with my life partner and three lesbian ladies, we set up the “Gay Fellowship of North Bay” holding fundraisers, dances, and yard sales to maintain the support line.
We moved to Calgary 20 years ago and facilitated events at MCC and Foundation Charity, with dances and drag shows to raise monies.
I hold the title of “Imperial Princess IV Reign Hamilton Wentworth”, and “Grandmother to the 31st House of Calgary”. I have been active during the past year at the Gay Pride dance, working with Emperor Conrad Twist at the Eagle, and with Mama Kim at Twisted shows, and have attended or performed in every court show. During the past year I have attended coronations in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton and Toronto.
If elected as Empress 32, I promise much needed diversity in the variety of entertainment venues for the enjoyment of our GLBT community.
We were told that Denise is not currently a resident of Calgary and has a lengthy commute into the city, so we asked how this might affect her ability to appear at ISCCA events if she is elected.
My residence, true, is outside the Calgary city boundaries. But no matter where one is located, all functions will have a dedicated person appointed to be in charge of the event. Therefore I do not foresee problems arising, especially in the age of mass communication. Furthermore I have on order a cell phone with a Calgary number, as well as three other phone numbers that I can be reached at. With respect to travel - even within Calgary, travel can take up to 45 minutes and I am within 1 hour and 10 minutes to the downtown area.
Eve L (aka Sig)
I’m Eve L, the mystery candidate, the boy formerly known as Sig. I have existed within Calgary’s GLBTA community for just over a decade now. I began performing back at Detour before I came out (okay, yes that is backwards). I’m unknown for my flair for the dramatic and eccentricities; I’m recognized for my boots. I have ten years experience in theatre, primarily wardrobe, as well as a two year college education in theatre arts with side classes in event and volunteer management. Over the course of a year I would like to create a sense of unity between the segments that are disenfranchised and help people see the community as a whole. I want to work towards larger scale performances with choreography and coordinated efforts. As part of this I’m hoping to institute seminars and a mentoring system for people who wish to start performing and want to get involved - of course there is a lot more to doing things than just the performers. I also think that championing for zombie rights would be like totally cool.
Since Eve L is not a very well known name in Calgary, we asked Sig what he plans to do to ensure the GLBT community is motivated to attend fundraising functions if he is elected.
I plan to rely on my theatre background to create a positive ambiance and showmanship to draw people, and I am going to use multiple media outlets to brand and illustrate these aspects. Also I plan on creating awareness and events beyond the regular nightlife culture, bake sales and other (gasp) daytime events.
Makayla Quinn
We asked Makayla what she thinks her biggest personal challenge will be during her reign, and how she plans to overcome it.
To start off my response, I would like to thank gay Calgary and Edmonton magazine for giving us, the candidates, the chance to answer this question you have given to us.
To tell you the truth I couldn’t have received a better question. I am extremely shy when I don’t know people, and I have a hard time going up and talking to them. I have gotten better at it with the campaign but I am still very uncomfortable doing it. The only way I know how to overcome it is to keep doing what I am doing, and that is just putting my own fears aside to accomplish what’s right for the community. That means talking to strangers trying to raise money for the people that need it, but can’t make it or raise it for themselves.
In closing I would like to say that despite my shyness, I know in my heart that I can do this job with the drive and determination that is needed for a successful reign.
Nina Tron
Hello everyone, my name is Nina Tron and I’m running for Empress 32.
As a young man and aspiring actor, I developed a great admiration for the art of Drag and becoming Nina Tron was a way I saw that I could make a difference. That was over 19 years ago, and to this day I still remember my first moments of awe as I change from Arin to Nina. I have my roots in the Vancouver Imperial Court system, where I learned a lot about the gay community and its charitable nature, before moving here, to Calgary.
When here I continued the art for a short while at Boyztown, and then for many years at Detour where, even as a paid employee, I hosted a number of charity events such as Wigged Out, and the Drag Olympics, as well as helping facilitate many other fundraising events. More recently, I hosted the Diva-Licious Sunday Drag Shows at the Twisted Element for three years. Now I have moved on and am looking for new challenges.
If I am given the opportunity to serve as the next Empress, I would love nothing more than to continue the traditions of the Imperial Court, while encouraging others to embrace these traditions. While fundraising is a primary goal of the Empress title holder, I also hope to be a part of inspiring the next generation to get involved with the art and magic of Drag.
Since moving to Calgary, Nina has served primarily as a professional performer. We asked why the community should now elect her to the position of Empress, a volunteer position whose primary goal is to raise money for charity?
I am following in the footsteps of many past Empresses that have also been involved with professional drag shows at gay bars and clubs before becoming involved with the ISCCA. Besides, I feel that I am still a court queen at heart from the experience of my Vancouver days.
It is our audience in the community that donates a big part of the money that the ISCCA gathers for its charities. I believe that a fundraising organization like the ISCCA can benefit from my experience, both as a performer and as a host because I am very comfortable on the microphone and know how to keep the audience engaged and entertained even when the music ends. I hope that what I have to offer will keep people coming out, and even attract new people to come out to support the ISCCA for fundraising events.
