Ron Byers
Drag queens have been a part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Edmonton for many years. The first recorded public appearance of drag queens performing in our City is believed to be at the Pierre Cochard owned Pegasus Club in 1971. The club was located at 10103 – 106 Street and just west of the Pig N Whistle restaurant, a favorite haunt for those who dared to go out in public in drag. Soon after, the first gay bar in Edmonton, Club 70, opened its doors and drag shows became a regular activity at the private club.
A few years later in 1975 Edmonton’s second gay bar, Flashback – a private club – opened and took drag shows to a new level, introducing the first production style shows based on popular film and stage musicals of the time. And the following year the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose was formed and to this day continues it 46 year history.
But to call any of those who did drag as charitable… while in drag… would be stretching the truth. Known for their caustic wit, quick retorts and haughty gestures, raising money for anything charitable was almost non-existent.
Then in 1984 reports that had been surfacing out of San Francisco and New York for the previous few years of a new “gay-related immune deficiency” (GRID), finally named by the CDC in the U.S. as AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), attracted the attention of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose in Edmonton.
Now in their 8th year of operation, the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose (ISCWR) was being lead by Emperor 8 Rick and Empress 8 Mary Mess. At a forgotten event, which history has lost to time, the ISCWR realized it was time to become charitable and decided to raise money to be donated to an agency supporting AIDS research or advocacy. At the time no such agency existed so it is believed that the money raised was given to the Gay Alliance Towards Equality (GATE) to be held in trust for a future project or organization. In the records for GATE it shows a donation in the amount of $805.00 in early 1984. This marked the first time the ISCWR raised funds specifically to donate to another community organization and fundamentally changed the mandate of Alberta’s longest running 2SLGBTQ+ community group forever.
Several months later at a Canada Day party at the home of Michael Phair it was learned that the very first case of AIDS in Edmonton had been diagnosed. By chance one of the party goers, Walter Cavalieri, got a phone call from a media outlet asking what people in Edmonton were doing about this new disease that seemed to only affect the gay communities. Walter referred them to Michael Phair who asked if he could get back to them in a few days.
Quickly gathering five friends of Michael Phairs including Dr. Larry Jewel, Liz Massiah, Barry Breau and Walter Cavalieri to his kitchen table that week the AIDS Network of Edmonton was born. They then approached the Gay Alliance Towards Equality to join their organization as a committee in order to access office services. Over the next year and ten months they operated out of Michael’s house using his kitchen table and home phone to provide information and support to the growing list of people being diagnosed with AIDS.
In the Fall of 1985 the ISCWR once again donated funds from the 9th reign of Emperor 9 Buster Boxx and Empress 9 Lulu LaRude to GATE. The records for GATE show a donation of $850.00 and in the first newsletter put out by the AIDS Network Vol. 1 Issue 1 published January 15, 1986 the ISCWR is thanked for their donation along with Swizzle Sticks, a hair salon owned and operated by Empress 6 Lindee Star (Ross Hahn) and Flashback for hosting the fundraisers.
Also in the Fall of 1985 Barry Breau, an Executive Director, met with Dow Hicks who owned The Roost Niteclub to discuss having fund raisers at the private club. On November 11, 1985 the very first of 22 annual AIDS Benefits was held at The Roost. With performances by several of the ISCWR drag queens and Roost queens, once again the Court stepped up in a charitable way all to raise money – this time with a specific agency in mind.
Using the money raised by the ISCWR and the Roost and set aside for the AIDS Network of Edmonton, they were finally able to hire their first employee – Tom Gale. Tom recalls that he was likely paid from those first donations for the ISCWR.
Finally in March of 1986 Tom Gale, the Network Coordinator, reported to the Edmonton Journal that they were in the process of securing a space for the agency from the City of Edmonton as many private landlords outright rejected the organization as prospective tenants. Shortly after, on April 18, 1986, the AIDS Network of Edmonton office opened at 10233 – 98 Street above the Astoria Cafe. Two years later after the passing of Ross Armstrong on July 1, 1986, it named in honor of the first Edmontonian diagnosed with AIDS.
Opening that first office of the AIDS Network of Edmonton came about not only due to the extraordinary efforts of those first 6 people who put in countless hours creating and managing the organization… along with numerous other volunteers, it also was able to open its doors due to that first donation of $805.00 from the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose.
Over the decades that followed the drag queens, drag kings, gays, lesbians and Trans folks and multitudes of other performers and volunteers elevated the new mandate of “Giving back to the community” to become the primary focus of the ISCWR. In addition to regularly donating to the AIDS Network of Edmonton as well as AIDS related research begun at the University of Alberta by Dr. Barbara Romanowski, Dr. Soskolne and Dr. Katz, the ISCWR also began supporting the Gay And Lesbian Community Centre of Edmonton (GLCCE) which would go on to become the Pride Centre of Edmonton. On several occasions when funding was short the ISCWR paid the rent on the Centre’s office space.
As the ISCWR became more well know and HIV/AIDS related organizations and research centres began to finally get funding from government sources, they looked further to the community and began being philanthropic to a number of Edmonton non-profits and charities such as Make A Wish Foundation, Stollery Children’s Hospital, and so many others.
And one further act of charity also began that year in 1984 under Empress 8 Mary Mess. In her closing moments as reigning Empress, Mary Mess (aka Michael MacKinnon) set up the very first Scholarship Fund which the following year was named in honor of John M. Kerr after his passing. Today that fund, now know as a bursary has given out ten’s of thousands of dollars to Edmonton and area students looking to advance their education.
As for the AIDS Network of Edmonton and the ISCWR, their relationship continues to this day. In 1999 the AIDS Network of Edmonton changed their name to better reflect their developing focus as they moved into the 21st century and are now know as HIV Edmonton. And regularly the ISCWR queens and kings put on their best performances all in the name of raising money to help HIV Edmonton reach its goals in helping those in need as a harm reduction agency, working to provide the best education and prevention methods to a broad audience.
So when you hear the caustic humor or cutting remarks today’s drag queens throw out from the stage keep in mind these same folks have also put their passion on the line… and stage…. to give back to our community in so many ways.
The answer to “When drag queens became charitable”…. Is 1984!
With thanks to Dr. Larry Jewel, Liz Massiah, Michael Phair, Tom Gale and the City of Edmonton Archives.
Ron Byers
Ron Byers is a community leader and storyteller. Decades of work in Edmonton’s non-profit sector have given him an extensive resume of service as well as a unique viewpoint on our city and its history.
He has left his mark with many groups such as the Alberta’s oldest 2SLGBTQ+ organization the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose where he was a Founding Member, the Pride Centre of Edmonton as part of developing its Aging With Pride Program and the Edmonton Pride Seniors Group. He also worked with the Edmonton Heritage Council and its Edmonton City As Museum Project (ECAMP) to bring stories of our Queer history to the public space. Ron also helped develop and monitor the Harm Reduction Program, PeerNPeer managed by the Queer & Trans Health Collective – QTHC (formerly Edmonton Men’s Health Collective).
He is also a positive speaker for HIV Edmonton, founder of Pride Edmonton and Rainbow Story Hub and the Cultural Events Lead for the 2030 Gay Games Bid Committee.
Blazewing Photography
Terrence Adams
