Sarria, José (1923-)

José Julio Sarria, born in December 1923, also known as Absolute Empress I, the Widow Norton, and Mother José, is a drag queen entertainer, political activist, founder of the International Imperial Court System, and the first openly gay person in the United States to run for public office. He also worked for the creation of the League for Civil Education in 1960 and the Society for Individual Rights in 1963.

Sarria was a veteran of World War II working as a waiter and greeter at the Black Cat Bar when he started his career as a drag queen performer in the 1940s. Before long, he changed this bohemian place into a world-famous gay bar and a place of solidarity for queer people. This was of significant importance in the age of McCarthyism. As the political elements in his shows increased, Sarria became a pioneer in gay political theater and a well-known political activist.

In 1961, with support from the San Francisco Tavern Guild, Sarria ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Thus, even though his unavoidably quiet campaign was not ultimately successful, he became the first openly gay person in the United States to run for public office. As a pioneer, he paved the way for later successful campaigns by openly gay candidates such as Harvey Milk who won the same political office 16 years later. Sarria was the first person to sign on to support Milk's campaign.

[Page 737]Because of police pressure, its straight owner closed down the Black Cat Bar in 1963. That year 12 of the 30 gay and lesbian bars in the city were closed down either by their owners or the police. In early 1965, owners from the San Francisco Tavern Guild organized San Francisco's first large, public drag ball where Sarria was named the Queen of the Ball. Yet, Sarria preferred to claim the title “Empress” instead of “Queen” and proclaimed himself the Empress of San Francisco. He also appropriated the legend of the Emperor Joshua Abraham Norton, a 19th-century San Franciscan miner and rice baron who had proclaimed himself the Emperor of the United States and Canada, and Protector of Mexico. The Tavern Guild continued these drag balls.

Sarria created the Imperial Court of San Francisco, a group that organized drag shows and other events to raise money, primarily for gay charities. Later, the organization extended its work to include other issues, such as HIV/AIDS. The International Imperial Court System has spread to nearly 70 areas in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Today, it is the second largest gay and lesbian organization in the world, after the Metropolitan Community Church.

Sarria lives in Palm Springs, California, but he keeps contact with San Francisco. He is still the head of the International Imperial Court System