The reigning Emperor and Empress of the Imperial Sovereign Court of Surrey -- which promotes understanding of the gay community in the Fraser Valley -- temporarily lost their crowns yesterday while visiting the legislature.

Thanks to what New Democrat legislator Spencer Herbert referred to as "antiquated rules," neither His Most Imperial Sovereign Majesty Emperor V Wolfgang Bang!, who is also known as Rob Neyts, nor Her Most Imperial Sovereign Majesty Empress V Elektra Quecha were allowed to wear their headwear in the legislature's gallery -- where members of the public can watch the proceedings.

In an interview, Quecha, who is also known as Sterling Hargitt, explained, "We choose to obey the rules as they are written now to be here for the honour of being announced for the charity work we do and the people we represent."

"It's disappointing," the elected empress added. "We have protocol manuals in our court. And we understand the place of protocol. It gives you comfort when you know what's going to occur. But it also causes a bit of rigidity and resistance to change."

In response, legislative assembly sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz explained, "within the gallery there should be no head dress worn, just for the dignity of the chamber and the protocol and the historical aspect of it."

Although, he added, there was an accidental exception to that rule last Wednesday when some students wearing tiaras came into the gallery. "And that was our error. A standard is a standard. And this group came in. And someone in the gallery staff didn't correct them."

Also losing the right to wear their sash and tiara were Mr. and Ms. Gay Vancouver XXIX Brent Wildefyre and Jackie A-Go-Go, also known as Mark Gueffroy and Kurtis Reeves.

To see a Public Eye video interview with the emperor and empress, go here and scroll down.

Sean Holman publishes Public Eye Online where this first appeared, and is the legislative reporter for Vancouver 24 Hours.