José Sarria
1922-2013
The Imperial Court System was founded by José Sarria, an activist and drag queen also known as Absolute Empress I, The Widow Norton, Empress José I, and the Nightingale of Montgomery Street. Sarria was a Columbian immigrant who had served in the army in World War II. He had hoped to become a teacher, but a morals charge stopped him from pursuing that career. Instead he became a waiter at the Black Cat Café in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood.
Shortly thereafter he began his long-running drag career, helping to transform the Black Cat into a world-famous gay bar. Sarria’s drag act was always tinged with political humor and he encouraged his fans to stand up for themselves against discrimination.
Also active in the creation of several political organizations, Sarria was the first openly gay person to run for public office when he tried for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1961; he earned a total of 5,600 votes. While he did not win, his run inspired Harvey Milk to later run for office.