About Us
Our Mission
The Imperial Court of All Oklahoma, Inc. shall be to provide educational, public service, and entertainment events that unify all aspects of community to benefit those in need. To that end the I.C.A.O. embraces people of all genders, ages, lifestyles, sexual orientation, and ethnicities. As an organization, the I.C.A.O. strives to build bridges between organizations/businesses and individuals and to bring together the Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered, Bisexual, and Heterosexual communities in a common purpose – to improve life for the people of Oklahoma.
Our History
Co-Founded in 2007 by Christian La Fleur Dior D’ and Kris Kohl, we are a 501(c)(3) Charity Organization operating in the State of Oklahoma for the People of Oklahoma. Our goal is to unite community-based organizations and the community through love, understanding, education, brotherhood. We are a chartered with the International Court System
The International Court System
The International Imperial Court System (IICS) was founded in San Francisco in 1965 by José Sarria, a WAR WORLD 2 VETERAN and the first openly Gay Candidate to run for public office in North America (1961). JOSE JULIO SARRIA was crowned. EMPRESS 1 OF SAN FRANCISCO also known as Absolute Empress I, The Widow Norton. Sarria, now affectionately known as “Mama” or “Mama José” among Imperial Court members, devised the name “Widow Norton” as a reference to Joshua Norton, a much-celebrated citizen of 19th Century San Francisco who had declared himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico in 1859. Thus the beginning of the INTERNATIONAL IMPERIAL COURT SYSTEM was born in America, Canada and Mexico.
The International Imperial Court System (IICS) is one of the oldest and larges predominately gay organizations in the world. The court raises money for charity through large annual fancy-dress costume balls in cities throughout North America and numerous smaller fundraisers each year. Although no official numbers are available, media outlets including the Lost Angeles Times have stated that the Imperial Court System is the second larges gay organization in the world, surpassed only by the LGBT outreach program of the Metropolitan Community Church.
Each individual court chapter (or “realm”) is a separate, legally-incorporated charitable non-profit organization that raises funds and awareness for various charities and people in need within its realm. Each chapter has its own board of directors and is financially responsible for its own management. In addition to local non-profit status, many courts in the United States have Federal 501(c) status. The Imperial Court Council is a separately-incorporated non-profit organization created to advise individual chapters and, when necessary, to grant or rescind recognition by the IICS as a whole. This group also urges a degree of consistency regarding matters of protocol via proclamations which are generally observed by all chapters. The Court system has grown to over 70 court chapters in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Each court holds an annual “Coronation” which is usually the chapter’s largest fundraiser and is attended by both local people and members of the other chapters from across North America. The evening culminates in the ceremony in which the new monarch or monarchs are crowned. The method by which monarchs are selected varies from chapter to chapter, ranging from selection by vote among the active membership in closed session months before the coronation to elections by all in attendance on the night of the ceremony, to election by public vote.
