41st Royal House

Grand Duchesses XLI Joie De Vivre: The Cajun Showgirl on Steroids

Colors: gold and purple

Symbol: Mardi Gras mask

Always saying: “We rise from the ashes.”

Coronation Theme: “The Night of The Rising Phoenix Over Korsakov”

Celebrating

When a candidate campaigns to become a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess, there is always a representation of colors that allows voters to know whom they are voting for. In most cases, candidates will also have a “catchphrase” and a coronation theme for their step-down.

We have taken a look at the last 40 Royal Houses and have gotten to know a little about each of them. Now, I will feature the remaining 9 Royal Houses, one at a time and each leading us to the current Reigning Monarchs and to the candidates of The Grand Ducal Council’s 50th Reign. Here is a spotlight on the 41th Royal House:

2013–2014

The 41st Royal House of The Rising Phoenix Court of Champagne, Chocolate, and Jambalaya

Grand Duke XL Kippy Marks: The Bubbly Champagne and Chocolate

Grand Duke

Colors: gold, green, and purple

Symbol: music staff and notes

Always saying: “The Kingdom must be run.”

This Royal House made Ducal History on several levels. It was my year, and it was filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, laughter and tears, destruction and Resurrection.

The first in this Ducal history-making reign was that I was the first ever elected Black Grand Duke within the organization’s 41-year history. The second is that I had two Realms/ Kingdoms, and the third is that I had two Grand Duchesses!

As I mentioned in the last issue of the San Francisco Bay Times, Grand Duchess XXXVIII Kylie Minono inspired me so much that I begged and pleaded and beseeched her to become my campaign manager. I was very lucky and blessed that she agreed and I knew at that moment I was going to win, and I did.

There was only one candidate running for Grand Duchess (Pat-N-Leather) and one other Grand Duke candidate (David C. Herrera). Pat-NLeather would become the duly elected Grand Duchess and

David C. Herrera would become my Royal Crowned Prince, (RCP). Our first Realm/Kingdom was known as “The Court of Champagne, Chocolate, and Realberries.”

This court consisted of my Crown Prince (CP): Aja Monet Ashton

Royal Crown Princess: Sr. Eve Volution

Crowned Princess: Lexi Shimmers

Pat and I would rule the Realm/ Kingdom for six months before it completely collapsed, leaving devastation and destruction in its path. Needless to say, there was scandal and strife and, in the end, the duly elected Grand Duchess resigned from her position and took her RCP and the Realm/Kingdom with her. Having experienced this, I found myself in utter shock. I was hurt and confused as to how to proceed, but The Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco stepped in and followed the protocol written in the bylaws and placed a Regent Monarch as my New Grand Duchess.

Enter Joie de Vive. Together we resurrected the Realm/Kingdom to its glory. Our new Realm/Kingdom was known as: “The Rising Phoenix Court of Champagne, Chocolate, and Jambalaya” and we also created a new Royal Crest.

My newly appointed Regent Grand Duchess Joie de Vivre appointed Virgil Roma as her Royal Crown Princess (RCP) and for the last 6 months of our Realm/Kingdom we reigned together, flourishing and shining brightly with dignity, respect, and the Mardi Gras flair of joy and celebration. I am forever grateful to Joie de Vivre for accepting the position and choosing to reign together with me as her Grand Duke the last six months. I truly love and appreciate you, Joie de Vivre!

I asked Joie de Vivre to share her personal thoughts about her experience reigning with me and serving in the Grand Ducal Council. She shared:

“While I’d known I was ‘different’ for decades, growing up in the ‘70s, I wasn’t aware of any trans people, and it took me years to put a name to my desire to live life as a woman. [This was] partly due to the stereotypes, both within the trans community and outside of it—that you had to hate your male body and hate living as a man to be ‘truly trans’ and transition. While I wasn’t enthusiastic about either, it wasn’t suicide or die for me. But I know I loved being a woman, even if I thought it was impossible to do so. However, eventually the urge became too much, and I started going out in public as a woman. I ran into the Ducal Court, and I hit the trifecta: it was a place where I could perform; I could do volunteer work; and most importantly, it was a place where I could explore my gender identity and expression in a supportive environment.”

“By the time I reigned with Kippy Marks in 2014, it had become clear that I wasn’t as gender fluid as I’d thought I’d been, and the thoughts of transitioning started forming, but it was something I was wrestling with,” she continued. “At the time, transitioning was much more daunting than it is today, and I feared losing my job, my family, and my friends. While I was out within the Court, I wasn’t out in the rest of my life, and I’d seen other transitions go badly. But knowing the Court would be there for me regardless was one of the things that gave me courage to start seriously thinking about living life as a woman.”

She added, “Likewise, reigning with Kippy caused me to stretch myself to do things I hadn’t known I was capable of, which showed me that I’d have the strength to transition, which was the most intense and stressful thing I’d ever done in my life. If it hadn’t been for my experiences with the Court, I may well have continued to live a life of quiet desperation as a man, but thankfully, after my reign I started living as a woman everywhere outside of work, and then fully came out and fully transitioned a year later.”

On September 22, 2023, the Grand Ducal Council of San Francisco will celebrate 50 years of Camp and Fundraising. The celebration will take place at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Please consider becoming a sponsor.

Inquiries:

50thanniversary@sfducal.org https://www.sfducal.org/

Tickets ($60) are on sale through August 25, 2023, with a hard stop on that final date. We hope to see you at this once-in-a-lifetime historic event!

SISTER DANA (continued from pg 10)

No dress code, and no dates required—OPENHOUSE welcomes wallflowers, dancing queens, and everything in between. They will provide a DJ, light appetizers, prizes for prom royalty, and an amazing time; you just bring yourself! June 8, 3–6 pm at 75 Laguna. RSVP at 415231-5871 or rsvp@openhousesf.org

According to data collected by researchers from USC, UCLA, UC Merced, and Oregon State University, daily use of hate speech by those who previously posted hateful tweets nearly doubled after Musk finalized the Twitter sale. And the overall volume of hate speech also doubled site-wide. Sister Dana sez, “One billionaire owner yields twice the hate.

Musk must be muzzled!”

According to GUN VIOLENCE ARCHIVE, there have been 667 mass shootings since the awful, racist Buffalo massacre on May 14, 2022. Meanwhile, five and a half months after the deadly Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, many thanks go to openly gay Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D), who has signed four new gun control bills into law—and, of course, a gun rights group is already suing. The laws raise the minimum age to buy a gun from 18 to 21 (though there are exceptions); establish a three-day waiting period before a gun can be delivered after purchase, and a background check; remove liability protections to make it easier for gun violence victims to sue manufacturers for defective products; and expand the state’s red flag law.

President Joe Biden wrote in a May 14 op ed: “The majority of Americans—even the majority of gun owners—want Congress to take some common sense action to reduce gun violence. But too many Congressional Republicans are doing the bidding of gun manufacturers instead of their constituents.”

Sister Dana sez, “Congress must reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban! It worked in the past and can work again. Most Americans agree: Civilians do not need military-grade weaponry!”

Audacious Anniversary 5

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District’s fifth anniversary party, Audacious Anniversary 5, took place at the Folsom Street Foundry on May 6. Emcees Alotta Boutté and Lance Holman welcomed guests and introduced performances by Ryan Patrick Welsh, the ambient suspension bondage of Twisted Windows, John Weber accompanied by Kippy Marks, the OmNomNom X Palace of Trash, and Boutté. DJ Fawks provided music throughout the evening, during which guests were asked to “strut your smut—aka your hottest fetish gear—in the second annual Brazen Runway.”

State Senator Scott Wiener and SF Supervisor Matt Dorsey presented proclamations that were received by the district’s Bob Brown on behalf of the organization.

The PRC Bare Chest Calendar Leather Men also attended. Tasty treats were provided by MamaBear’s Kitchen, and there were demos by the Exiles, Service Pups of San Francisco, ELSE, and ONYX Northwest. Others who helped out with the event included David Heyman, Kelly Hunt, Joe Pessa, Cal Callahan, Gayle Rubin, and more. https://sfleatherdistrict.org/

ALRP’S 40th Anniversary Major Donor Reception

Photos by Rink https://www.alrp.org/

Since 1983 the AIDS Legal Resource Panel (ALRP) has provided assistance to LGBTQ+ community members. To celebrate its four decades of services, a reception and program was held on Thursday, May 11, at Fable restaurant on Castro Street.

ALRP Executive Director Bill Hirsh welcomed guests and presented awards to the honorees. Dr. Murtuza Ghadiali accepted the Community Partner Award on behalf of Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights (BAPHR). Amy Eskin and Mitchell Shapson were honored with the James C. Hormel Philanthropy Award in honor of their longstanding support.

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman presented Certificates of Honor and spoke on behalf of District 8, which he represents.