Annals of Emperors and Empresses of San Francisco: Alexis Miranda
Absolute Empress XXXIII Alexis Miranda, 1998–1999, shares her story
“Annals of the Absolute Emperors and Empresses of San Francisco” is a collection of interviews from Empress Juanita MORE!, who reached out to over fifty San Francisco’s Emperors After Norton and Absolute Empresses of the Imperial Council of San Francisco (ICSF) — one of the longest-running LGBTQI+ nonprofits in the country — to learn about each of their accomplishments and involvements during their reign.
I reached out to Alexis Miranda to learn more about her accomplishments and involvement during her reign.
Fredy Miranda, a first-generation Cuban American, was born and raised in Miami, Florida.
He grew up always knowing he was different and always knew that he was attracted to men.
Miranda worked as a waiter in his late teens at The Seagull Resort Hotel restaurant, relaxed beachfront property with a pool and patio on Miami Beach. It was there that he got his first introduction to female impersonation through the dance club nightly drag shows.
In 1987, at the age of 18, Miranda purchased a $36 one-way Greyhound bus ticket out of Miami, Florida. He spent seven days on the bus without knowledge of where the bus trip was ending. When the bus made its final stop in San Francisco, the driver told him to get off the bus, or he would take him directly back to Florida. Now thirty-three years later, he hasn’t left the city.
While in San Francisco, Miranda quickly met many personalities, entertainers, and other like-minded nightlife people. Soon, he realized that many of them were part of the Imperial Council of San Francisco and the Grand Ducal Court families, both under the umbrella of the International Court System.
It was around this time that Miranda decided to run for the position of Miss Gay San Francisco — getting first-runner up, and then again the following year — with the same results of not winning. And then he ran for Grand Dutchess two times and lost each time by just a handful of votes.
In 1997, Miranda took a year off to contemplate running as Empress of the Imperial Council of San Francisco, winning by 268 votes against Susie Cortwright, who was favored to win.
Miranda was the first Latino elected Empress of the Imperial Council of San Francisco — and one of the youngest at just 29 years old when he stepped down.
I reached out to Alexis Miranda to learn more about his accomplishments and involvement during her reign.
Juanita MORE!: What year was your reign as Emperor / Empress?
Alexis Miranda: Absolute Empress XXXIII Alexis Miranda, 1998–1999
JM!: What was your proudest accomplishment?
AM: During my reign, I was able to get more contestants involved in the pageants. I have continued to do so for many years and brought it out to the San Francisco community. I was also influential in helping the Transgender community become represented at the Mr. & Ms. San Francisco Gay Pageant. As a result, we now have more than a dozen crowned!
JM!: What nonprofits did you support during your reign?
AM: The charities that Emperor XXVI After Norton Fred Lewis and I supported during our reign as The Court of Determination, Truth, and Reality were: Proyecto Contra SIDA Por Vida, Project Open Hand, AIDS Emergency Fund, The Godfather Service Fund, and API Wellness Center.
JM!: What are your hopes for the future of the Court?
AM: I am still involved with the International Court System as an MC and an entertainer at various coronation events 25 years later!
To keep up with Miranda’s work, you can follow the Absolute Empress on her social media handles:
Facebook: @alexis.miranda2
Instagram: @alexisfmiranda33
To learn more about the Imperial Council of San Francisco, visit imperialcouncilsf.org. Please visit the Imperial Council of San Francisco’s website to donate to the reigning Monarchs Charity Fund.
