People
Empress Rhonda
Young Boy from Ireland Came a Long Way
Jim Shafer
In Memory of a “Private and Proud Man”
By Sam Casselman
By Dallas Barnes
On June 5th, 2010, a Calgarian will be receiving one of the International Court System’s most prestigious honours: A Jose Award.
On March 13th, 2010, Edmonton lost a man who had made an impact on the LGBT community in his life. Jim Shafer, co-owner of Boots, friend, son, Uncle, volunteer, and mentor, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 63.
Some may know him as Pastor Ron of the Rainbow Community Church of Calgary, others as Empress 20 of Calgary, Rhonda del ray Rockafella. However, if you know Ron/Rhonda, you undoubtedly understand why she would win such a prestigious award. Ron Cardy was born in Belfast, Ireland, and grew up with a strong faith and a close family. He graduated from post-secondary with Degrees in both Hospitality and Theology, eventually leaving Ireland for Missionary work in Belize. After his mission Ron did, as many are expected to do, and married. He welcomed two children along the way, before moving to Calgary for work. Thanks to a generous fellow with a good eye, Ron came to be at a Christmas Eve dinner many years ago. This gentleman, under the assumption that Ron was gay, sent him flowers and a note. This gesture immediately brought Ron’s true feelings to the surface. Sooner afterward, he came out and inevitably divorced his wife, leaving him on his own; his family no longer supported him. Where one family left him, another embraced him. The Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch (ISCCA, Calgary) welcomed Mz. Rhonda and allowed her to be herself, particularly in the local drag scene. He eventually met his life partner Wayne Eberly and was among the first same-sex couples to be legally married in Alberta. While completing her reign as Empress 20, she began to appreciate the need for charity. She founded the Crowns for Kids Foundation, and has been fundraising for this cause over the last 15 years with the help of Calgary LGBT businesses. She has won numerous awards for her work with local charities. She has offered support to other Courts, and is Spiritual Advisor to Empress Nicole the Great, the Queen Mother of the Americas. She is a two-time recipient of the ULTIMA title for her remarkable contribution to Court life, and is in the process of creating an AIDS Memorial in Calgary. It comes as no surprise than that Mz. Rhonda is one of the only two Canadians receiving this bi-annual award. Says Rhonda “I am still in shock, this is a huge honour. It will not hit me until I am there for the awards dinner. I am deeply moved by it.” The 45th Anniversary of the International Court System will be held in Lexington, Kentucky on June 5th with an Imperial Gala. This organization has over 67 Chapters in Canada, the United States, and Mexico – including Calgary’s ISCCA and Edmonton’s Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose (ISCWR). There will be a keynote speech with Stuart Milk, the nephew of Harvey Milk, and of course the presentation of the Jose Awards. When asked about how she came to be honoured, she responded, “A dear friend of mine named Vikki believes in me and all that I do here, and out in the International Court System. I am the founder of the Crowns For Kids toy drive now into its 15th year. I am the founder of the Pastor of Rainbow Community Church, Calgary’s only gay [operated] church. I do what I can for what the Court stands for, the good that we do.” After receiving this award, Mz. Rhonda has no plans of slowing down. “I will keep doing what I can to make this world a better place. …I do it because I love the court, it gave me my life.”
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Jim Shafer was born January 7th, 1947 in Cranbrook, B.C. He completed his schooling in Salmon Arm, B.C., moving to Edmonton shortly after. It is here that he met and married his wife Barbara. After a short move to Winnipeg and a divorce, Jim returned to his beloved Edmonton, where he began a lifelong involvement with the Edmonton LGBT community, and a long-standing friendship with business partner Ross. This involvement began with part ownership of the Roost Nightclub, which lead to a 20+ year involvement with the Edmonton Imperial Court (ISCWR). After leaving the Roost, Jim began his last and most memorable career as a co-owner of Boots. Boots opened its doors in 1979 under the name ”Boots and Saddles”, with a mandate of treating all of their customers equally, while discouraging discrimination based on appearances, social status, etc. “Everyone that enters Boots is a VIP and a Bar-Star all of the time.” Many agree that Shafer personified this motto. A memorial for Jim was held at Chapel of Chimes in Edmonton on March 18th. Rob Browatzke, co-worker and friend of Jim, gave a heartfelt, emotional, and uplifting eulogy there. “Jim welcomed everyone with open arms, and would welcome people in his bar and into his life the same way,” says Browatzke. “He was very forgiving, everyone got a second chance. All he asked for in return was that you live your life with honesty, ownership, remittance, and respect. He helped people become all they could be without any expectations. He was charitable and used his advantages and abilities to further others.” “Although he was honest, sometimes brutally - he would always give you the cold, hard truth. He would always rather be truthful than popular.” Rob encouraged mourners to “try and laugh away the grief,” as this would be what Jim would have wanted. Furthermore, Rob asked people, “keep the party going, laugh louder and harder because every second counts.” While checking out the pictures on Jim Shafer’s memorial Facebook page, a perfect stranger such as myself could not help but shed a tear for a man who obviously cared so deeply about his community and asked for little in return. Jim Shafer represented a spirit that many of us have known and are thankful for. He is a part of that small group of individuals that were forerunners and the backbone of the LGBT community. He was a crusader that never apologized for who he was and accepted anyone for who they were. He encouraged people to fulfill their potential, and gave to the less fortunate. He was well-loved and well-respected. Perhaps the greatest tribute we could give Jim Shafer is to live our own lives, continuing with that spirit.
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1649
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1650
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #78, April 2010