The Current Reign – Reign XXXVII
H.M.I.S.M. Regent Empress XXXVII
Madelyn Keyth
Madelyn Keyth first hit the stage in 1977 with Neil’s Hollywood Follies on Long Island as Mae West. Within the next five years she befriended her mentors. . Chaka Savalas, Nikki Star and Dorian Corey. All of them great performers, Icons in the New York drag scene and charitable fund raisers in their own rights. Maddie followed suit and produced her first and one of the first AIDS benefits in a Long Island night club in the mid 80’s. There were more benefits and even Tupperware parties for GMHC to follow.
In 1986 she moved west to San Diego with a couple of friends and discovered her home away from home.
While there, discovering the essence of charity through a community of incredible people, she made a name for herself as a performer at scores of shows for just about every charitable organization in town. This led to a number of titles, Miss Sweetheart San Diego, Miss Gay San Diego, Miss Golden State Gay Rodeo Association to name a few. Hard work did not go unnoticed in that city, she was awarded The First Empress Jennifer Award, a Commendation from the State Legislature and the Mayor’s Crystal Seahorse for her community service.
Madelyn was also introduced to the Imperial Court de San Diego where she has made lifelong friends and learned incredible lessons and what it is to love. Never has working so hard been so much fun.
She is proud to be one of the original producers of the Scott Carlson Thanksgiving Dinner, from its inception alongside Scott and for 4 years after he passed. Now in its 35th year thanks to the Imperial Court de San Diego when she could no longer do it and then move back east.
After returning to New York, and discovering that the Imperial Court System had reached the east coast, that there were members she already knew. . . she was elated. So now ten years later, and after co-producing shows and events which have raised over $100,000 for an array of beneficiaries, not to mention a challenging reign during a pandemic year, she is stepping up to try and produce an amazing year for the IC NY. With the help of our incredible membership and alongside of her husband Emperor Graham D’Craquer, we hope to exceed expectations and keep the jewel that is the ICNY shining.
H.M.I.S.M. Regent Emperor XXXII
Graham D’Craquer
Graham D’Craquer grew up in one of the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA.
Graham’s first real job was cooking and serving chicken at a little shop in his hometown. He was in high school at the time. This, along with his mother’s skill in the kitchen, started his life-long interest in working with food in all its forms. While he still occasionally cooks chicken, mercifully his repertoire has expanded. Summers while still in high school and through his early college years were spent working as an orderly in the emergency room at the general hospital affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh. This began his love of the medical/scientific community and set the trajectory for the remainder of his working life. His first career in this area was working as a respiratory therapist in a neonatal intensive care unit. It opened his eyes to the complexity, and wonder, of the science surrounding medical care.
With an eye towards working in medical public relations and publishing, he completed his studies in journalism with concentrations in public relations and advertising. His first job following graduation was working as a public relations assistant at his local American Lung Association. This was not by coincidence because the national lung association headquarters is in New York. Living in New York was a life-long goal and was realized (albeit by living in New Jersey) when he landed a job at the American Thoracic Society – the medical arm of the lung association. Its offices were in the MONY building on Broadway. This started his 30- year career working with physicians and scientists in the fields of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. Along the way he progressed through the ranks (and wore myriad hats) to become the Chief Operating Officer of the ATS – the position from which he retired (early, he hastens to add) in 2012. It was a rewarding and stimulating career that allowed him to work with, befriend and be mentored by many of the world-renowned luminaries in these fields of medicine and science.
Graham came out at the beginning of the AIDS crisis which was an astonishingly scary time for those entering the gay community. These times refined Graham’s views of society and politics. A political and social activist for many years, he became even more so in response to the crisis with its heartbreaks and indignities by working with organizations that were, and are, responding to those who need help the most. Eventually this led him to join the Imperial Court of New York. He did so because of its mission and the panoply of programs it supports across the age/gender/orientation spectrums.
Within the Imperial Court of New York and beyond to the various realms that comprise the Imperial Court System, Graham has had the good fortune to be guided by many dedicated, committed individuals who share the common goals of helping others and making our world a little bit better place in which to live – all the while doing so by taking life a tad less seriously and having enormous fun. Perhaps the most significant outcome of his membership in the Imperial Court of NY was meeting his soulmate Keyth. So significant in fact that Keyth honored him by becoming his husband in 2018.
He had the unique experience of stepping up as Emperor 29 along side his husband and Empress 34 the very month the world closed down due to COVID. He always knew that the members of the ICNY were extraordinary. They exceeded this exceptional level in so many ways during his reign and lifted him up with their talents and support.
Graham is looking forward to a fun, successful, purposeful reign. Dare he say it, he hopes to have a reign that will allow him to represent and serve, in person, the passionate membership of the ICNY. Once again, he gets to accomplish this with his best friend and husband by his side as his Empress.