This week we go back to 1973 for our 50 years in 50 weeks feature. The Bay Area Reporter in its early years gave robust coverage to the Imperial Court and its candidates for emperor and empress. On August 22, 1973, left, the paper presented the candidates for emperor: Michael Damon, Russ Higginbotham, and Richard Novak. The following issue, September 5, the ladies had their turn in the spotlight, with empress candidates The Lady Frieda (Fred Hilliard), The Lady Mike (Mike Johnson), The Lady Fran (Chuck Schneider), and The Lady Fern (David Weber). The Imperial Court System, a drag fundraising organization, has long ties to the Bay Area, ever since its founding 56 years ago by the late José Julio Sarria, who was the first empress. To view the issues, go to https://archive.org/details/BAR_19730822 and https://archive.org/details/BAR_19730905
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