I.C.S.
International Imperial Court System (ICS) & the International Imperial Court Council (ICC)
The International Court System (ICS) consists of almost 70 chapters or Courts in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The individual Courts are both social and community service organizations bound together in shared structure, policies, and goals. Even though each court is part of the International Court System they are governed in accordance with national, state and local charitable organization requirements. The Court System was founded in San Francisco when a group of gay bar owners formed a Tavern Guild in early 1965 as a means to stand in solidarity with one another under the pressure of police harassment. The Guild put on the first large public drag ball in San Francisco’s history called the Beaux Arts Ball. In its third year Jose Julio Sarria, a World War II veteran and the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in North America, in 1961, was declared the Queen of the Ball, and then declared himself Empress. With that, the Imperial Court System was born. When the Court System originated in San Francisco, California, in 1965, it was intended mainly for “camp” fun. From that beginning, we derived our camp titles: Emperor & Empress, Prince & Princess, and so forth–as well as each court’s annual gala function, Coronation. Jose’s unique combinations of talent, influence, and vision guided the start of what is now an international organization.
For more information on the ICS and the ICC, please visit WWW.IMPCourt.org