Standard Podcast [1:01:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Only crazy people, beauty pageant winners, drag queens and royalty wear tiaras- when it comes to the folks of the Windy City Empire, you can check “all the above.”

It’s always such a nutty delight to see them out and about in your local gay bar holding court and raising money for a wide variety of charities.

Officially called the Windy City Court of the Prairie State Empire, they are part of the Imperial Court System, one of the world’s oldest gay organizations which draws its roots back to San Francisco in the 1970s.

Every year these courts all around the country raise money for charities through large fancy fundraisers which mainly consist of court members and their friends hanging out in royal attire and bestowing upon each other large colorful royal-sounding names.

On today’s show, Alexandra St. James joins us to shed some light on the Imperial Court System. Are they for real? Is this mostly tongue in cheek or do some people truly believe themselves to be royalty?

Alexandra’s full name is: Her Imperial Majesty the Ruby Phoenix Sorceress of Radiance Renewal and Redemption the Empress Prima Alexandra Saint James. What a mouthful!

At coronation time, many court members pick their names after monuments in the city where they live in and Alexandra named herself after Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain, don’t ask us why.

Alexandra is busy these days pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music studying Opera, where she hopes one day to sing among the best of them in theaters around the world.

And what a set of pipes this diva-in-training has! The Lady Alexandra can easily imitate many of the famous women of music, stage and screen. You will be floored by her effortless take on Tina Turner, Gladys Night and the powerhouse Patti LaBelle.

Listen as we talk with her majesty about the Cinderella Syndrome and what’s the matter with young kids today.

Did you hear? A recent survey of GLBT youth suggests most of them want to be married with kids by the age of 30. That’s a lot to chew on. When I was younger, many of my female friends thought having a kid in their youth would be a disastrous blow to their futures but now many young people think of getting married and having kids as their future.

Is this just the romanticism of youth or are we seeing a fundamental change in queer identity here?

Check out today’s sponsor:

ApparelBuilder
–Expose Yourself–
Your source for custom printing and embroidery
with top brands for up to 60% off.
Wholesale pricing, retail quality.

The podcast that doesn’t look crazy wearing a tiara- Feast of Fools.

Featured Music:
Sarah Bettens - Shine: iTunes | Amazon | Site

RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE