Take a Look at the Night of a Thousand Firsts

It's not every day that you can find a cabal of drag queens, a bevy of bedazzled daddies ,and a group of onlookers all in the same busy Times Square hotel lobby. On Saturday night, the Imperial Court of New York celebrated it most important and opulent night--for the 30th time.

This year, the illustrious evening benefited the 30th Anniversary ICNY Scholarship Fund for LGBTQ Youth. Board president for the Imperial Court Gary Cosgrove (aka Gabriel Della Notte) wanted to bring the focus back to a cause that has been a consistent priority for the organization: education. While in other years the Imperial Court raised funds for two scholarships, this weekend's event sought to secure funding for eight--"wherever they are needed most," according to Cosgrove. The gala event saw a three-act program chock full of entertainment, courtly proceedings galore, and auctions both silent and live that were not to be outdone by previous years. The sumptuous dinner also brought to mind another first: How often does one have occasion to watch drag queens in their finest...dining-wear?

Gown highlights included: Kevin Aviance rocking the grandest bustle and train this side of MePa, Logan Slaughter-Hardcore giving the usual sass (mixed in amongst all the other sass), and Empress XXVII Gracie Steeles keeping things classy as always.

All hail the newly inducted Imperial Court Monarchs, Emperor XXV Tree and Empress XXX Sugar B. Real!