Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 532
Featuring content from the hottest gay and gay-friendly spots in New York, each (free!) issue of Get Out! highlights the bars, nightclubs, restaurants, spas and other businesses throughout NYC’s metropolitan area that the city’s gay a population is interested in.
Featuring content from the hottest gay and gay-friendly spots in New York, each (free!) issue of Get Out! highlights the bars, nightclubs, restaurants, spas and other businesses throughout NYC’s metropolitan area that the city’s gay a population is interested in.
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BY EILEEN SHAPIRO<br />
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT<br />
GRAHAM<br />
D’CRAQUER IS AN<br />
EMPEROR WITH A<br />
NEW GROOVE<br />
PHOTO CREDIT: SUBY STARLING<br />
How has your experience of being Emperor<br />
enriched or changed the trajectory of your<br />
life?<br />
This is actually the second time I’ve been<br />
Emperor. The first was in 2020. But when I<br />
was to step up, the world closed down due to<br />
the pandemic. Every thing we did was virtual.<br />
This reign has given me the opportunity to visit<br />
different Courts across the U.S. and Canada and<br />
meet so many new people. My life is definitely<br />
richer and fuller because I’ve had the chance to<br />
get to know all these marvelous folks who have<br />
similar goals to mine.<br />
Can you recall an experience that stands out<br />
in your mind as extraordinary?<br />
We had the pleasure of experiencing the<br />
extraordinary hospitality of both the Hawaii and<br />
Alaska Courts. Both were learning experiences<br />
in the art of hospitality, as well as being<br />
enormous fun.<br />
What are you most looking forward to at this<br />
year’s Night of A Thousand Gowns?<br />
As always, the Night of a Thousand Gowns<br />
is a big celebration of who we are as a<br />
community. Seeing so many like-minded folks<br />
and organizations coming together to help lift up<br />
those who need it is what it’s all about and gives<br />
me so much hope. And we get to dress up and<br />
put on a show, as part of the bargain. There’s<br />
lots of glitz and glamour, but in the end, it’s all<br />
about raising money for our beneficiaries.<br />
What can we expect for the entertainment<br />
this year?<br />
We are finalizing the entertainment right now,<br />
but those we are considering will not disappoint.<br />
What significance does your title “The Noble<br />
Silver Giraffe Emperor of Conversation,<br />
Compassion, and Charity” have?<br />
The silver part comes from the color of my hair.<br />
The conversation part is what I believe is the<br />
keystone of where any exchange about our<br />
community has to start. Compassion and charity<br />
are the core of what we are and do as the<br />
Imperial Court. And the noble part comes from<br />
how I hope we are perceived in what we do.<br />
What motivated you to join the Imperial Court<br />
of New York?<br />
The goals and mission of the Imperial Court<br />
perfectly aligned with what I see as the best way<br />
forward to make a difference in the community at<br />
large and especially our little piece of it.<br />
What was your greatest accomplishment this<br />
past year?<br />
In truth, any accomplishments we have<br />
achieved this year have been realized because<br />
of the Court’s phenomenal and hard-working<br />
membership. I get to be the visible, forwardfacing<br />
representation of all that dedication and<br />
work. It’s an honor and privilege and one I do not<br />
take lightly. It would be difficult to single out one<br />
accomplishment. We have all worked very hard<br />
to help make sure our beneficiaries get what<br />
they need to do their vital work.
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