I was first introduced to the court in 2019 by Isis de Luna and Phyllis Hole when we met at Alibi, our once beloved, local, bear-dive watering hole.  Going back to Alibi, we met Zack Powerhowz at one of his famous “Thirsty Pig” events, who then, along with Isis and Phyllis, invited myself and Travis to KampOut and Ducal Ball.  I had such an amazing time that we started attending as many events as we could, and I found ways to participate as often as I was able.  My attraction to the organization grew from there, where I first invested in the court during Reign 47, as “Knight Protector of Fats, Fems, and Asians.”  In Reign 48, I was appointed Imperial Crown Count, and eventually got enough courage to run for Mr. Gay Central Valley 2022. With hard work and effort, I earned my first Pageant Crown.  I won’t forget my response to the question “What would you do if you were crowned Mr. Gay Central Valley.”  I said I would “Participate and Represent with PRIDE.” 

 

And represent I did.  During the year I Reigned as Mr. Gay Central Valley, I made every effort to attend all our local court events, as well as attend several Coronations from our fellow realms.  I attended Long Beach, Phoenix, Reno, Albuquerque, LA/Hollywood, Alameda Ducal, San Francisco Ducal, San Francisco Imperial, Portland, Seattle, and of course, Fresno.  I have also attended several pageant events and investitures from our neighbor courts.  And it wasn’t just representing.  I made sure to come early and help set up our local events and break down after our events.  After all, many hands make light work – we can all move forward faster when we all work together.

 

When the Reigns transitioned from 48 to 49, I was nominated and accepted to serve on the Board of Directors and voted in as Treasurer. This role demanded focus and dedication, as I would need to attend most, if not all, our events to ensure that the register was operated, and funds properly accounted for.  Working alongside our Executive Treasurer, Emperor 46 Jose Mo, I believe we have been doing an outstanding job, and I am proud of our seamless workflow. 

 

Last year, I filed my application for Emperor 50 for the court.  I feel that I campaigned strongly and fairly, and along with my proposed top 5, I am proud of the work we did and the accomplishments we made during that time.  I didn’t win, but I also didn’t lose.  I feel the experience I gained was priceless, and the bonds forged are unforgettable.  But what I also didn’t lose was the vision – our purpose to promote community, build bridges, and raise funds so that we, as an organization, can give back to our community, and help our grassroots non-profit community organizations thrive.

 

During Reign 50, I continued to serve by investing in the new Reign, and joining the top 5 as Imperial Crown Count, and served on the Board of Directors, but this time as Parliamentarian.  During my time as parliamentarian, I am proud to say that, along with the Bylaw Revision Committee, we were able to amend the bylaws to be more inclusive by constructing an ascension plan for our nonbinary and genderfluid community members.  This effort has been years in the making, but we have finally shown the progress we absolutely needed.  The icing on the cake of this incredible journey was earning the title of Grand Duke 50, where I had the opportunity to continue to represent and build connections.  Along with my Grand Duchess, we had a very successful Warmth Drive, showing that with our court working together, anything is possible.

 

I find myself a very passionate person, one who loves to give back to the community.  This is also evident with my work at Spectrum Art Gallery, another 501c3 that I volunteer for. I have served there as Past President, a Board member for over 10 years, and currently serving as Gallery Curator, where I was able to create a workshop series for photographic processes and a built-in a mechanism for fiscally disadvantaged students.  I am also always looking for ways to expand our reach, create educational opportunities for all, and provide a venue for people to connect in meaningful ways. I have successfully negotiated an exclusive indefinite exhibition space at the Fresno Air Terminal, and a 5-year contract at the San Joaquin River Conservancy Trust, as well as provided a rotating exhibition of works at the local office of Governor Gavin Newsom.  These are accomplishments that I was able to secure for our members to thrive – many of which are students, seniors, and fiscally disadvantaged community members. Creating opportunities is something I feel is vital to any organizations’ longevity. 

 

I wish I could say that I had many, many years of involvement with the court under my belt, perhaps even decades, as some of our veteran members have. But I don’t believe it’s the number of years you have been involved, but rather how much you have been involved – and want to be involved - that counts.  And I do want to be involved considerably more.  This is an opportunity to build strong connections, expand our good work, and unite our community.  This is what is propelling me forward as a leader. What I do bring with me is strong, proven skills in leadership, diplomacy, problem solving, and empathy.

​

Outside of those measurable goals, I would like to commit to expanding the inclusivity of the Court by embracing the next generation of drag, the potentially marginalized members of our community, Persons of all colors and gender identity, and our youth – all of which are future leaders of our organization. 

​

In addition to maintaining this organizations’ strong reputation of uniting our village, raising funds for our local community, providing a forum for safe and free expression of identity, and creating a chosen family where everyone can feel they belong, I am strongly driven to establish new relationships with LGBTQIA+ serving and ally organizations, to reach out and connect, and in some cases reconnect, with our multigenerational community, and add to the fabric of our great organization as one of its noble leaders.