Rainbow Story Hub- October 9, 2025
- 0 Comments
- 3 minutes Read
Duane Shave
Duane Shave was a founding member and Empress of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose (ISCWR) as well as Matriarch of All Alberta in the International Court System. We bring you the story of Duane Shave — better known onstage as Empress II, Chatty Cathy — a true pioneer in Edmonton’s performing arts and queer community history. As Edmonton’s longest-performing drag queen and a retired educator, Duane’s influence stretches far beyond the stage. His story is one of courage, compassion, and commitment, intersecting performance, teaching, activism, and community leadership.
From helping to found the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose (ISCWR) in the mid-1970s to being crowned Empress II, Duane has long been a central figure in Edmonton’s drag and LGBTQ2S+ community. He stepped into the role of Matriarch of All Alberta upon the passing of the Edmonton court’s founding Empress, and he continues to be a guiding presence in its operations.
In a time when public drag events were rare, Duane performed some of Edmonton’s first “public drag shows,” including at venues like Chez Pierre — spaces that welcomed queer expression in an often-hostile environment. Through his decades of performance, mentorship, and service, Duane has left a legacy that binds art, education, and activism together.
We invite you to listen closely as Duane Shave — Empress II, educator, advocate — shares the story of how a life on stage can also be a life of service, community, and transformation., a retired educator, and one of the first drag queens to perform publicly in the city, notably with Empress 1 Millie at the Pegasus nightclub and in the ISCWR’s elaborate Broadway-style drag shows, including Hello Dolly!.
