As The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut celebrates 25 years of doing good in our state and community, we want to celebrate the folx who make our success possible, our members. Each week we will highlight one of our members and ask them questions about themselves and The ISC of All CT.

Today we highlight Emperor Trevor Reynolds:

• 1. When did you join the organization/how long have you been associated?
  • I have been a member of the ISC of All CT since 2001, over 20 years…Yikes!
• 2. How did you hear about the ISC of All CT?
  • I was dating my now spouse Michael Morgan (AKA Morgana de Luxe) and they told me about this organization they were involved in, and it sounded like it could be fun.
• 3. What interested you in joining the organization?
  • I wanted to give back to the LGBTQ+ community, and this was a great way to be involved and be philanthropic. I found the idea of royalty a unique and different way to raise money for worthy causes. And the bling is pretty cool too!
• 4. Please give 3 to 5 adjectives to describe the ISC of All CT?
  • Devoted, Passionate, Regal, Benevolent
• 5. What is your fondest memory/moment with the organization?
  • There are too many to have just one, but I would say after 12 years in the ISC of All CT, being crowned Emperor alongside my spouse. Not only did we reign together but lived together and worked for the same company! We did it and are still together 23+ years later. The places we went and the people we met were experiences I will never forget.
  • Another was spending the weekend with our beloved founder, Jose, at Vermont’s adornment. I was fortunate enough to have met Jose and seen them several times throughout the years. He was an amazing person and the stories he would tell…Oh my
• 6. Where would you like the organization to go in the future?
  • I would like to see us to continue to evolve, our community isn’t what is was 25 years ago and we need to change with it. We need to be a safe space for LGBTQ+ folx, continue to be a champion of our community and work with other organizations to further our mission.

Thank you for being there when I needed you, and I hope in my time I’ve been able to help others who needed it as well. Happy 25th Anniversary, Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut!!!

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As The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut celebrates 25 years of doing good in our state and community, we want to celebrate one of our past beneficiaries and the amazing work in our state, and ask them questions about their organization and The ISC of All CT.

Today we highlight St. Philip’s House program at Chrysalis:

• 1. What year(s) was your organization a beneficiary of The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut?
  • 2017 & 2018
• 2. What are the services you provide for the community?
  • Chrysalis Center has been providing supportive housing services and case management services to individuals who are living with HIV/AIDS for over 20 years. St. Philip House Community Case Managers (CCM) work with individuals to locate, lease up, maintain housing, as well as apply for state entitlements, connect to primary healthcare or mental health providers, assist in managing healthcare, and assist with job training and employment services and other community resources. This program is funded by HOPWA allocations through the City of Hartford and charitable contributions. Our successes are in our performance benchmarks that include 88% of individuals served are undetectable and/or virally suppressed based on current lab results contributed to the rate of compliance with medication and comprehensive follow-up by our community case worker and 100% of clients served rated positively in each of the domains of access to services, quality of services, outcomes, participation in treatment planning, respect, recover, and general satisfaction with services. The program is designed to provide flexible support services to individuals and their families living with HIV/ AIDS and experiencing mental illness, substance abuse, and homelessness.
• 3. What memories do you have working with The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut?
  • The Court were an incredible group to work with. We as a team were able to attend several of the events that were to benefit our St. Philip House program at Chrysalis Center and were very appreciate of the funding they provided. These were dedicated, talented individuals with St. Philip House in their hearts. We miss your involvement and would love for you to become involved with our organization again!
• 4. What were you able to do with the funds your organization received from The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut?
  • All funds were used to support the individuals and families who were part of the St. Philip House program. In a recent survey, 87% of our participants reported that their service needs were being met. 63% reported that staff helped them obtain information they needed so that they could take charge of managing their illness. 100% reported being treated with dignity and respect by the staff. 89% reported that the quality of their life had improved since they entered the program. There were no gaps in service or concerns raised by clients. Clients identified needing linkages with mental health services, substance abuse, and medical providers. These are all areas that the case manager can assist clients with through referrals.

As The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut celebrates 25 years of doing good in our state and community, we want to celebrate one of our past beneficiaries and the amazing work in our state, and ask them questions about their organization and The ISC of All CT.

Today we highlight True Colors:

• 1. What year(s) was your organization a beneficiary of The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut?
  • To be honest, you supported us so many times and for so many years that I can’t quite remember. Altogether, I believe that ISC donated nearly $100,000 to True Colors’ work on behalf of LGBTQ+ youth.
• 2. What are the services you provide for the community?
  • Sadly, True Colors has closed (except for the conference, which we are bringing back in 2025). Prior to its closing we offered the largest LGBTQ+ youth issues conference in the country; one of the country’s very few mentoring programs for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care; direct youth social and recreational services, and trained many thousands of educators, social workers, police officers, and community organizations helping them provide more competent programming for our youth and their families.
• 3. What memories do you have of working with The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut?
  • So many! Many of my favorite memories are of the ISC at the annual conference. Your folks provided a drag workshop that was hugely popular and then ran the drag show at the end of the day, featuring many of the youth that participated in the workshop. There was so much love, excitement, and joy in their performances that I know that both the audience and the performers came away with life-long memories.
• 4. What were you able to do with the funds your organization received from The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut?
  • ISC made our work possible. The funding supported weekly youth programming, allowing LGBTQ+ youth to create community and belonging – both of which are critical to their mental health, happiness and well-being. You really have made a huge difference!

The Transgender Empowerment Committee is an initiative of the International Imperial Court system that invites all courtiers at Connecticut Coronation and (any others) to attend Trans Coffee Talk, a facilitated safe space to commune, to learn more about the issues facing the transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive community, and to ask any questions that you may have.

Trans Coffee Talk originated as an act of lifelong learning after a member of the ICS committed a grievous faux pas but showed the wisdom and the courage to reach out to those whom they had wronged…to sit, to talk, to learn…and to do better.

This example grew into the Trans Coffee Talk tradition, now held during Coronations throughout the ICS. 

As The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut celebrates 25 years of doing good in our state and community, we also want to celebrate the folx who we support. Many of our members are involved in other organizations, and we are invited to attend / perform at their events. We always have an amazing time with our CT Leather Family at their S4 event. S4 stands for Suds & Sins, a Sunday Social. This event has been going on for over 20 years and we are proud to be a part of this tradition. This year the reigning CT leather Mr. Loves Alot has collected donations for D.E.S.K, Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen located in New Haven, and supported various other charities. Come see what we all do best, giving back!

#RoyaltyGivesBack

As part of our annual gala, “Royalty Gives Back” the Imperial Sovereign Court of All CT hosts the Reign Victory Party. This event is the first event held after our Coronation where the outgoing leaders supports the new reign. Come Join us for some Food, Fun and Fabulosity as we introduce the newest leaders of our organization!

As The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut celebrates 25 years of doing good in our state and community, we want to celebrate one our past beneficiaries and the amazing work in our state, and ask them questions about their organization and The ISC of All CT.

Today we highlight The Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition (CTAC):

• 1. What year(s) was your organization a beneficiary of The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut?
  • 2013 and 2022.
• 2. What are the services you provide for the community?
  • CTAC is dedicated to the advancement and attainment of full human rights for all trans and gender non-conforming people. CTAC has been involved in many key legislative actions, including advocating for inclusive birth certificate documentation and equity in healthcare practices. CTAC also hosts educational programs and is excited to be part of the SOGIE conference returning to UCONN in March 2025.
• 3. What memories do you have working with The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut?
  • Our greatest memory of the Court is attending the coronation balls. Being able to meet other beneficiaries and witness all the history and tradition behind the Court gave a lot of great insight into all the positive work the Court is doing.
• 4. What were you able to do with the funds your organization received from The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut?
  • When our conference was in person, we were able to keep registration costs very low due to the generosity of the Court. As many of our participants would not be able to afford significant conference fees, this was crucial in connecting our audience with the resources our conference provides. Then, when the conference went virtual during the pandemic, the generosity of the Court allowed us to sustain our mission and still provide services to the community who needs them. The funds donated to CTAC over the years have made a huge difference!

As The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut celebrates 25 years of doing good in our state and community, we want to celebrate the folx who make our success possible, our members. Each week we will highlight one of our members and ask them questions about themselves and The ISC of All CT.

Today we highlight Viscount Mikey Pancakes:

• 1. When did you join the organization/how long have you been in association?
  • I have been in the court since December of 2023, officially inducted during coronation 25 at the out-of-town show.
• 2. How did you hear about the ISC of All CT?
  • I met a goofy, friendly person named Bryan, (Emprex 31 Anna Mae Ceres/Tehdy B from the Imperial Sovereign Queen City Court of the Buckeye Empire – ISQCCBE) during the pandemic on TikTok and became very good friends with them. One day, I got a message on snapchat to come to Connecticut Coronation to finally meet up. I had no idea what it was, but I went to the victory brunch and after party and the rest was history, and I’ve been around the court ever since!
• 3. What interested you in joining the organization?
  • Honestly, it’s the people. I have never felt more at home with a community and more able to be myself. Of course, I love all that we do for the community, and I am happy to be of service, but the real thing that keeps me in the court is all of you and all the beautiful memories we make. I’ve been apart (or at least court adjacent) for almost two years, and some of my modest memories of my life are due to the court, and I want to continue on that path.
• 4. Please give 3 to 5 adjectives to describe the ISC of All CT?
  • Elegant, Radiant, and BLINGY
• 5. What is your fondest memory/moment with the organization?
  • My fondest moment was being inducted into the court during my first ever Connecticut coronation. I felt like I was finally home, in a world full of unknown and uncertainty, it gave me a sense of grounding and security that I will always have a place in this world.
• 6. Where would you like the organization to go in the future?
  • Honestly?…. EVERYWHERE. I’d love to see us expand to non-conventional places. Don’t get me wrong, I love the ballrooms, I love the bar and pride events, but I’d love to see us expand into places people wouldn’t expect us to be. Places like Anime Con, or ren faires, expos, car shows, (c’mon some of us have cool cars!) I believe expanding into capacities where LGBTQ+ foundations typically aren’t expected to be will exponentially help us spread the word about the work we do for the community and give us a voice bigger than we’d ever imagine, because at the end of the day, people like to hide in the shadows and some people suffer alone. It’s up to us to bring the party to them.

As The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut celebrates 25 years of doing good in our state and community, we want to celebrate the folx who make our success possible, our members. Each week we will highlight one of our members and ask them questions about themselves and The ISC of All CT.

Today we highlight Countess Ruby Lynne Dégagé:

• 1. When did you join the organization / how long have you been associated?
  • I joined the ISCofallCT in September 2022.
• 2. How did you hear about the ISCofallCT?
  • I heard and learned about the ISCofallCT from my lovely fiancé Dolores Dégagé.
• 3. What interested you in joining the organization?
  • I loved the sense of community while supporting the many lgbtqia+ nonprofits we raise funds for here in Connecticut.
• 4. Please give 3 to 5 adjectives to describe the ISCofallCT.
  • “Welcoming”
  • “Fun”
  • “Charitable”
• 5. What is your fondest memory/moment with the organization?
  • I actually have three!! The moment the membership parted to allow me to be the first in line to tip my fiancé Dolores Dégagé performing for the first time in her new role as Imperial Crown Princess for Reign 25.
  • The opportunity for myself to perform for the first time as my alter ego “Rod Dégagé“.
  • And lastly the moment my child beamed with pride while receiving an Honorary Court title from Emperor Vu Tran at the Monarch’s Ball – “Squire Moss Dégagé”.
• 6. Where would you like the organization to go in the future?
  • I would love to see our organization create more family friendly fundraising events to allow our community’s youth to learn more about the Imperial Court System. Hopefully to excite our next generation to volunteerism and charity.