Copyright ZZ
This was my fourth ever Coronation Ball. What is a
Coronation? It is a gala-filled evening when drag queens and their
supporters choose two of their own to represent their community and
court for the coming year. The newly crowned Emperor and Empress travel
throughout North America, visiting other courts, and organize
fundraising events locally. In Vancouver, these events are organized by
the Dogwood Monarchist Society (DMS), and this year's theme was
"B-Movie: A Night at the Drive-In."
She loves us all a lot andAs Shannon and I exited my
apartment elevator, a well-dressed trio of two women and a man
complimented us. They asked where we were going, so she told them.
Shannon then drove us to the Coast Plaza Hotel in the heart of Davie
Village. On the conference level, we were met at the ticket table by
Bruce, Emperor XXVIII and one of the true, hard-working pillars of the
DMS. After handing over the tickets so he could remove the
stubs and exchanging greetings with him, we walked down the short
hallway toward the ballroom. As usual, the queens were in their
glitziest gowns of every cut and fabric imaginable, many sporting their
sparkling crowns, scepters, and other regalia. Shannon was a little
overwhelmed by the whole spectacle. She finally realized what I had
failed to reassure her about all week: her red sequin number would not
be too over-the-top. She was also wearing her new, red sandals, and my
red purse - what's an incestuous, big sister for? She looked great! I
wore my new lavender, floor length gown with beaded bodice I'd bought
last May exclusively for this event. I accessorized it with a white
purse, white opera gloves, 7-inch white platform pumps, and my best
rhinestones and fake pearls. With the addition of my favorite
shoulder-length, blonde wig, I was quite pleased with my look.
We
bypassed the temporary bar set up adjacent to the big room to look for
Mz Adrien, a drag queen with the longest running show in town, and the
other gurls. Most of them were ensconced around two tables reserved for
the various, local cross dressing groups, including the Vancouver Gurls
Club, which she runs. Kudos to Mz Adrien for explaining protocol
beforehand, bringing these groups together, securing discounted
tickets, reserving tables, and booking an upstairs suite for gals to
change and hang out. We hugged and greeted several of our friends
before seating ourselves. The first few stage performances were male
dignitaries from out of town, doing their thing. I did my best to
explain to Shannon what was going on. After a while, we went outside to
buy drink tickets to supplement our single intake back at my place. We
bumped into Brandy, an older t-girl who had invited me to my first
Coronation Ball. After telling us about her new place under some
bridge, she tried to embarrass me in front of my date. I know she likes
me, so she was probably feeling jealous. I came back with a pretty good
verbal return that ended up embarrassing her. Knowing what to say at
any time is an art form that I'm still trying to learn from my drag
sisters. We then went upstairs to the Gurls Club suite to drop
coats and bags. The room was a veritable drag explosion, with several
gals at various stages of transformation. We chatted with most of them,
as well as Mz Adrien's significant other, Reede. Taking the elevator
back down, we were packed to the rafters with a gaggle of richly
adorned, convivial queens. Procuring more beverages, we returned to our
table to watch the show. I was most impressed with Christopher
Peterson, who is absolutely gorgeous and sings beautifully in her own
voice! I also really liked Jaylene's flapper look; she is Princess
XXVII of the Greater Vancouver Native Cultural Society. She's perhaps
my favorite performer in town and certainly the prettiest. Shannon and
I tipped and showed our respects to her, the soon-to-be new Empress,
Vivian von Brokenhymen, and the soon-to-be former Empress, Estie
Louder. Toward the end of the evening, several of us posed for
photos using a grand piano as a prop. Shannon felt like a movie star
lying on top of the instrument, with about half a dozen flashes going
off, one after the other, for several minutes. We then witnessed the
actual coronation, with the new Empress and Emperor kneeling before the
College of Monarchs. They swore oaths of fealty to the DMS, before
being crowned and cloaked. I'm not sure if that's the proper term, but
members of the College had some trouble affixing the long, flowing
purple cloth to the Emperor. Finally, success! The two looked regal and
happy as applause filled the room.
Soon, the festivities began
winding down, and many of us withdrew to the Gurls Club suite. We
ordered some pizza to go with the wine on hand. I was worried about
mixing with the scotch for all of ten seconds. I had another great talk
with Patty, organizer of the Daytime CD group, and chatted with Wanita
and some of the other ladies too. Next thing we knew it was 4:00 a.m.
Shannon and I contemplated going to the drag queen party at the Sands
Hotel nearby, but ultimately opted for home. A little bit later, while
I was reclining on the sofa receiving a foot massage, I noticed my
chronically under slept slut pass out. Being a merciful Mistress, I
waited until the morning to give her some of what she deserved.
Copyright ZZ March 14, 2005 |