International Court System News and Announcements

Read the Official Autobiography of Harvey Milk that was distributed during the First Day Issue Ceremony for the stamp in his honor!  Harvey Milk First Day Issue Ceremony Autobiography...

You're invited to join the City of West Hollywood in commemorating Harvey Milk Day at two events on May 19th and May 22nd!   The contributions of Harvey Milk will be celebrated at the West Hollywood City Council meeting on Monday, May 19, 2014 beginning at 6:00 pm with various activities including video shorts, an interactive lobby display and an informal reception in the West Hollywood City Council Chambers  located at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.   (The meeting start time is 6:30 pm and the presentations will begin at appx 6:45 pm.)       The City Council will present a commendation to the International Court System,  one of the oldest and largest predominantly gay organizations in the world, for leading the successful national campaign for the Harvey Milk Forever Postage Stamp. Special guests include San Diego Human Relations Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez, who is the Executive Director of the International Court System and Chair...

Official Announcement of Queen Mother of the Americas, Nicole the Great Parliament VII January 17, 2014 Houston, TX The Queen Mother of the Americas Empress Nicole the Great Opening Remarks at The Seventh Session of Parliament In a few days, people will be celebrating the birthday of the late  civil rights ICON….Dr. Martin Luther King. His word, wisdom and service to others live on to this day. Dr. King once said: “Everyone can be great…. Because anybody can serve.  You don’t have to have a college degree to serve…. You don’t even have to make your subject and verb agree to serve….. you only need a heart full of grace…. A soul generated by love….for life’s most persistent and urgent question is: “What are you doing for others……?” This early morning, in this, the great state of Texas…..I stand proudly with Canadians and Americans who serve their community, their cities….....

EXCLUSIVE: Campaign seeks to honor Rustin with postage stamp January 13, 2014 By Thom Senzee on January 13, 2014 Bayard Rustin, gay news, Washington Blade Bayard Rustin was the architect of the 1963 March on Washington.The same advocates who worked for years to convince the United States Postal Service to issue its first Harvey Milk postage stamp have launched an all-out effort to win approval for a new stamp honoring Bayard Rustin, the openly gay organizer of the iconic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.  The official launch of the Bayard Rustin USA/National Stamp Campaign will be announced at the 2014 Creating Change Conference (Jan. 29-Feb. 2 in Houston) by none other than Rustin’s longtime partner, Walter Naegle, who recently also accepted the Medal of Freedom from President Obama on behalf of Rustin, who died in 1987.  The idea for a campaign to win approval for a stamp honoring...

One year when Jose and I shared a room for a weekend during a New York coronation.  We talked long into the night ..... about everything and everyone!!  Jose really felt that no one would remember her, that people would forget her legacy.  I told her that her beloved court system .... YOU ..... and I would never let that happen. So I established the "Jose Honors" and started and let the campaign to get a street named after her in San Francisco (with the help, support, and leadership of one of my sons, Supervisor Bevan Dufty). This is the first time that Jose has not been involved in the selection process and to be honest I miss our arguing over them (of course she always got her way). This year I especially took the recommendations of the Members of the Jose Honors Board of Governors and it's President, Empress Coco...

  2014 INTERNATIONAL COURT SYSTEM PROJECT Last year I proclaimed 2013 as the "Year of the Seniors" ..... this year I urge all Courts to focus on the growing issue of Hunger.  Every night millions of children and families go to bed hungry ..... and the need continues to grow every year.  Every city in Canada, Mexico, and the United States has food banks and food delivery agencies (some for seniors others for HIV-AIDS).  Many of our Courts already have events or benefits that support this issue and we are asking all Courts to especially focus on this issue and try to do even more ..... and lets see what all of our court families accomplish within these three great Nations.      ...

Queen Mother I of the Americas, Empress Nicole the Great's 2013 Holiday Message I had the honor of spending the Canadian Thanksgiving in Toronto this year and it is a season for holidays: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. Yesterday I was at our community center at my home court, San Diego held it's 25th annual "Scott Carlson Community Thanksgiving Dinner" for the homeless, seniors, people living with AIDS and cancer ...  hundreds were fed and 50 families with 130 children were delivered groceries and about 25 hospital patients got visits.  A teen homeless shelter and a Tijuana AIDS hospice also were delivered food.   For me during these holiday seasons I take great joy and pride that so many of your courts are doing the same thing in your cities; food and toy drives, special visits, clothing and blanket drives, etc., etc. This year has been a most difficult one...

 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 —The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force celebrates the confirmation by the United States Postal Service that it will introduce a stamp commemorating LGBT rights pioneer and one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., Harvey Milk. He will become the first openly LGBT elected official to be featured on U.S. postage. 

October 22, 2013 - Portland Coronation:

Forty years ago I made my first visit to the “City of Roses”… Portland … it was my very first coronation out of state.  I was the reigning “Baroness II de San Diego” having been defeated in my campaign for Empress II de San Diego (I placed fourth among eight Empress candidates).  Well it was Empress Doni Lame’s coronation and Empress Elsa Daniels was on her way to the throne.  Well this little ole baroness could not believe her eyes as I witness one of the most glamorous, magical, and exciting coronation ball ever and right then and there I decided,  I too wanted to be an “Empress” more than ever and just like Doni and Elsa !!!!

 

 

October 19, 2013 - Toronto Coronation and ICC Meeting:

Canada is indeed a progressive nation.  In 1969 when gay and lesbian Americans were fighting back against oppression at the Stonewall Inn the Canadian Prime Minister was making homosexuality legal.  Indeed Canada has gay marriage and health care for all and allowed gays in the military long before the USA did.  It’s always an honor to attend Coronations of our Canadian Courts… there is no border when it comes to our International Royal family and the International Court System.

October 11, 2013 - Cincinnati, OH Coronation:

I had to be at the San Diego airport very early so Prince Kaiden picked me up at 430 a.m., so I really didn’t sleep the night before.  My flight had a stop in Salt Lake City prior to landing at the Northern Kentucky Airport. When I arrived at baggage claim there were about a dozen Court members from Cincinnati to welcome me- I was very touched by their kindness and wonderful greetings.  It was a great start for my five day state Visit. 

September 29, 2013 - San Francisco Grand Ducal 40th Anniversary Coronation:

There are not too many GLBT organizations that can boast 40 years of service, thus it is always an honor to be invited to Court anniversaries and the San Francisco Grand Ducal Courts’ 40^th Anniversary Celebration was one of the best I have attended in my almost eight year reign as Queen Mother of the Americas.

August 17, 2013 - Jose’s State Funeral San Francisco:   With this writing I’ve decided to start a journal of my visits as your “Queen Mother of the Americas” beginning with the “State Funeral” of our beloved founder Jose Julio Sarria, then my state visits to the Coronations of Washington, D.C., San Francisco Ducal 40th Anniversary, Cincinnati, Toronto, Portland and Los Angeles. Though it has been over a week since the State Funeral of Jose I am finally able to sit down and write this, the beginning of my new journal to all of you my fellow members of our wonderful International Court System.  The viewing and funeral were two days in San Francisco mixed with so many emotions, sadness, pride, laughter, tears, smiles, difficulties, differences and LOVE.   Jose and I, especially this last year, spoke many times of our funerals and wondered what they would be like… who would come… what would be said…. what she...