CASDLA_000038_A_PRSV

Interview with Nicole Murray Ramirez by Frank Nobiletti, Part 1, 1990

 

1990-02-08

 

Digitization: California Audiovisual Preservation Project (CAVPP)

Nicole Murray Ramirez, also known as Empress Nicole the Great, is Queen Mother of the Americas within the Imperial Court System. He has been an LGBT activist for decades, and was pivotal in developing San Diego's LGBT community. He has also served on the Chief of Police Advisory Board, San Diego's Human Relations Commission, and is a San Diego city commissioner.

Nicole Murray Ramirez; Brad Truax; Gay Pride parades; Pride parades; Frank Nobiletti; LGBTQ history; LGBTQ issues; LGBTQ politicians; LGBTQ rights; Human rights; LGBTQ rights opposition; Police; Police officers; Gay bars; Lesbians; Drag queens; Drag performers; Stonewall Rebellion; Stonewall riots; Stonewall protests; Imperial Court system; Jose Sarria; Jim Nolan; Police brutality; Ethnic diversity; Social diversity

 

 

Rights are owned by Lambda Archives of San Diego (LASD).

 

 

 

 

1/8th inch audio cassette

00:46:54

Yes

CASDLA_000038_B_PRSV

This is a summary, not a transcript.
00:11 Audio begins, usually see masculine pronoun for this person
00:30 Interviewer gives date of interview as February 7th.
00:40 Person being interviewed identifies himself as Nicole Ramirez Murray (Usual order Nicole Murray Ramirez but varies whether hyphenated)
00:50 First question asked about what was going on in the gay community before the Stonewall Era.
01:15 Nicole talks about how you can trace the gay rights movement to the hippie days.
01:40 Talks about Rock and Roll along with drugs and sex being an appealing era for the gay community.
02:20 Talks about how San Diego was the only city in the state that went for Barry Goldwater.
02:50 Talks about how many people were in the closet and there were a few bars.
03:13 Talks about how social structure in the gay community was because of the drag queens.
03:40 Talks about doing drag every now and then.
03:52 Nicole says he got his start in drag but switched to politics.
04:17 Says that true gay liberation started when a drag queen went to buy a pair of pumps.
04:43 Says that the only thing going on in San Diego was drag shows and no organizations.
05:08 Talks about the rule of not being able to touch each other when dancing because you could get thrown out the bar.
05:24 Talks about how normal the harassment from the police was.
05:58 Talks about how the drag queens would act towards the police.
06:21 Talks about how the police often times left the drag queens alone.
06:52 Talks about how drag queens would put on shows to raise money for people who needed different things.
07:11 Talks about how everyone got along during this time.
07:31 Interviewer brings up how gay was still a code word.
08:07 Talks about how lesbians dressed very masculine during the time.
08:32 Talks about how men would be in business suits during the day but dress wilder at night.
09:05 Talks about the social structure of the community.
09:21 Talks about how Stonewall was a big movement in the United States.
09:44 Talks about how the pioneers of the movement were the drag queens.
10:01 Talks about how most of the drag queens were Black and Puerto Rican.
10:33 Talks about how people are embarrassed about drag queens and rob them of their history.
11:16 Talks about how in San Diego the Imperial Court was very important. The Imperial Court involves choosing the Emperor and Empress of the city.
11:32 Talks about how 1972 was an important year for the Imperial Court.
11:50 Talks about how the Imperial Court was founded by Jose Sarria in San Francisco who was the first openly gay person to run for office of the United States.
12:02 Talks about when the Imperial Court first started.
12:38 Nicole dates this initial event as the late 60's [Sarria's proclamation of herself as empress was in 1965.]
13:03 Nicole talks about the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Imperial Court in San Francisco.
13:22 Talks about everywhere that had a gay city established a court system.
13:34 Talks about how the court system was the only thing around for the gay community until MCC.
13:48 Talks about the Emperor and Empress were the elite because they could raise money.
14:12 Talks about how the Emperor and Empress were considered like the mayor.
14:40 Talks about the San Diego Imperial Court attracted thousands including politicians.
15:11 Says that only about 1/4th would come to the ball in drag.
15:31 Nicole talks about how he was a street queen and didn't do much entertainment.
15:55 Talks about how one empress spent a lot of money to run.
16:20 Nicole talks about how he talked about the discrimination in the bars when he was running for Empress.
17:41 Talks about the ball at the El Cortez.
18:05 Nicole says those who were supporting him were the down and out.
18:35 Nicole talks about how he placed as Baroness.
18:40 Nicole talks about how they never told her about the victory party because they were furious.
19:06 Nicole talks about how they did not tell her where the court meetings were.
19:41 Nicole talks about the first Mr. and Ms. Gay contest he threw to raise money.
20:24 Nicole talks about his visibility in the community.
20:38 Talks about how one of the bar owners spent ten thousand dollars trying to defeat him.
20:48 Talks about Jim Nolan running for Emperor.
21:25 Talks about how people told Nicole he would never be Empress.
21:31 Nicole talks about how he won Empress and had a meeting with the bar owners.
22:03 Talks about the May Company demonstration.
22:21 Talks about a teacher committing suicide.
22:38 Nicole talks about how they would not let him walk in the demonstration.
23:01 Nicole talks about how he marches in the demonstration.
23:37 Nicole talks about his writing for San Diego Sun.
24:02 Nicole talks about how he was arrested for something he did not do.
24:50 Talks about the abuse of the police.
25:30 Talks about police brutality in the gay community.
26:01 Talks about how the police would raid bars.
27:05 Talks about how he was arrested three times.
27:20 Talks about how she had nothing to lose so she would hold demonstrations.
27:43 Talks about how organizations and churches began popping up.
28:20 Talks about how money would come from the San Diego Imperial Court system.
29:08 Nicole talks about how he changed the Court to be more politically aware.
29:38 Nicole talks about his involvement in drugs.
30:25 Talks about one of his coronations.
31:06 Talks about Jim Base a state assembly member. [Cannot find this name]
31:55 Talks about the bar structure.
32:15 Talks about the first Gay Pride parade in 1975.
32:47 Talks about Brad Truax.
34:08 Talks about the death of Brad Truax.
35:25 Talks about straight politicians and their role in the community.
36:40 Talks about the Gay Center
37:47 Talks about resigning from the board and withdrawing support from the gay center.
39.00 Talks about the controversy caused over the gay pride parade with the socialist contingent.
39:56 Talks about calling a boycott for the Gay Pride Parade.
41:29 Talks about how he was always in the newspaper for different things.
42:20 Talks more about Brad Truax
42:56 Talks about an individual named John and his role in the community.
43:15 Talks about the editor of Bravo named Tony and the role he played.
44:01 The interviewer asks when the change took place.
44:23 Interviewer asks how people of color fit into the gay community.
44:44 Nicole talks about how it was the same that it was in the current era of the late 80s and how people of color have not progressed.
45:38 Nicole talks about how he opened up three seats on a task force that are to be filled by a Black, Hispanic, and Asian person.
46:24 Interview stops abruptly. [The second part is at CASDLA_000038_B_PRSV.)

 

Audio

WAV

1.56 GB