Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 412 April 3, 2019

Is there anything new to
expect this year at the
event?
Empress: There always
is! But I’ll tell you what
will stay the same… it will
be the same glamorous,
glittering evening, with
more sparkles and
rhinestones than you can
shake a stick at! We’ve
added more dancing this
year, so that everyone
can join the party. And
we’re working on a special
something that I’m not at
liberty to talk about, but
that will generate a lot of
heat, I can tell you that
much!
Emperor: The Imperial
Court of New York is
always evolving to make
Night of a Thousand
Gowns bigger and better
each year to try and
maximize our fundraising
efforts for our chosen
charities—this year’s
beneficiary, Trinity Place
Shelter for homeless
gay youth, as well as
making our event highly
entertaining for our
guests. We encourage
our guests to go way
over the top with their
formal outfits like our
membership does. Our
entertainment is always
top notch, an extensive
silent auction, the threecourse
dinner is always
delicious and we offer a
five-hour open bar in the
gorgeous Marriott Marquis
Grand Ballroom. A feast
for the eyes and a place to
be seen!
For those who aren’t
aware, can you explain
why Night of a Thousand
Gowns takes place every
year?
Empress: The Imperial
Court of New York is
governed by a Board
of Directors, but is also
led by monarchs, an
emperor and an empress,
who are elected by the
membership and serve for
a year as the figureheads
and spokespersons of
the organization. New
monarchs are crowned at
the annual coronation ball,
which we call Night of a
Thousand Gowns. It’s also
a great opportunity for us
to showcase the important
outreach and fundraising
work that the court does
throughout the year, and
to highlight a particular
cause or charity near and
dear to our hearts, as
we’re doing this year with
Trinity Place Shelter.
Emperor: Night of a
Thousand Gowns is The
Imperial Court of New
York’s largest fundraising
event of the year. Each
year the court membership
elects an emperor and
empress to be the
court’s ambassadors for
the year. So, this ball
is a celebration of the
reigning monarchs and
membership’s year of
fundraising, and at the
climax of the night, there
are the coronation walks
and swearing in of the
next year’s emperor and
empress, and the year
begins anew!
How can people
purchase tickets?
Empress: Tickets are
available through our
website, www.icny.tix.com.
Is there anything that
I didn’t mention that
you would like to make
people aware of?
Empress: I’m not sure
there is, but I’m probably
forgetting something!
Emperor: Although Night
of a Thousand Gowns is
our biggest event of the
year, we are fundraising for
different charities almost
every week of the year.
Some of the charities over
the past year, besides
Trinity Place Shelter, were
for Hudson Pride Center,
Tyler Clementi Foundation,
Thursday’s Child, The
Asbury Park Police Local
6 PBA, Save-a-Pet USA
in Port Jefferson with the
outreach program Gays for
Strays, MCCNY Homeless
Youth Services, CitiLeaf,
Coco LaChine Scholarship
Fund, God’s Love We
Deliver and so many more.
We hold many of our
events at Stonewall Inn,
Industry Bar and Pieces.
The Imperial Court of
New York also provides
outreach programs like
Hearts and Voices that
visit and perform at HIV/
AIDS shelters throughout
the boroughs and potluck
dinners at homeless
youth centers like Trinity
Place Shelter. Refer to
our website for upcoming
events at www.icny.org.
The ICNY is a very
diverse and welcoming
organization inclusive of
our GLBTQ and straight
allies. We are always
looking for new members
to join the Imperial Court
of New York! We invite
everyone to come join in
the fun, network and find
a place where you can
make friends, perform or
help in the background
and be part of an amazing
organization!