I love to get dressed up. The more sparkly and glamorous it is, the better I like it. My friend James feels the same way. You could call him a drag queen, although his proper title is empress -- the 7th Empress of San Diego, to be exact. He was crowned in 1978, and reined under the International Court System, which is the oldest active gay social service organization in the United States. Photos of his coronation as the White Swan Empress show a slender, beautifully made-up woman in an elegant white gown. Studying those images, it's hard to believe that sophisticated lady is actually my handsome, bewhiskered buddy James.

After a brief, ill-fated marriage and four years in the Navy, James was invited by friends to attend a Court meeting. "So I went," James recalled, "and they were organizing a big benefit show. They said,';you, you and you. You're going to be performers.' It had never occurred to me prior to that to do drag. But I thought, what the hell." The first time James looked in the mirror and saw himself in full regalia, he said, "Oh God I'm gorgeous!" His alter ego, "Jimmy", was born. "I did the show and enjoyed the applause and attention. I saw that I could have a good time while benefiting others." Crowned Empress, James co-chaired the San Diego chapter of the International Court for a year, organizing benefits and political campaigns, and representing the Court at functions all over the country. "I was never a professional entertainer," he explained. "All monies raised were for charity. I don't do drag as a clown, like you see in the movies. I glam it up, not clown it up. In fact, we joke that my look is very 'La Jolla doctor's wife'. 'Jimmy' is a character. It's all in fun." I asked him if there was a sexual element to it. "Not for me," he answered, "although there are men who are into that. I don't play out that fantasy. "Jimmy' isn't real -- but he is high maintenance!" I pressed him for details -- after all, how many chances do you have to get the inside scoop from the Empress himself? "Oh yeah, men hit on Jimmy. But that's not my thing. Although, I have woken up to find my own face on the pillow when the party's been just too good to quit. Don't go to bed in the makeup!"

As a child, James spent a great deal of time with his grandmother, who unwittingly encouraged his future drag career. "Grandmother always kept a dress-up bag on the back porch. I was five; six, seven and the first thing I'd always head for was the red open-toed pumps -- Betty Grable style. One day, I put them on, headed off the porch and went headfirst into a rain barrel! After that, Grandma's rule was no pumps on the porch!" An accomplished seamstress, she taught James to sew at a very early age, mostly to keep him busy and out from underfoot. "French hand-sewing, fine work. She'd give me and my sister scraps of fabric to practice on." By high school, his two sisters had the best-dressed Barbie dolls in town. The discovery of the drag world opened up new and bigger creative possibilities. James was soon designing elaborate gowns and headpieces, some costing thousands of dollars, all made for just one wearing. Before long, he added bridal and evening wear for women to his resume. "The difference between designing for drag versus creating an evening gown for a woman is one of degree. I use the same basic concepts -- then crank it up ten degrees for the impersonator. My motto is: Excess is best. The glitzier the better, with loads of beads, sequins, feathers. I think a lot of women secretly want to dress that way too -- just can't wear it to the Wal-Mart! Seriously, every woman has her moment when she wants to look her absolute best. To see a woman transformed by a fantasy gown, the right hair and makeup... it's magic, isn't it?"

Next week, I will accept my Gracie Allen award in New York City, wearing a gown that James has created just for me. Hosting the ceremony is the terrifying Joan Rivers, known better these days for her vicious fashion commentary than for her comedy. I'm a nervous wreck. James is serene: "Oh f--k Joan Rivers. She's destroyed bigger names than me. I'm forty-eight years old. I couldn't care less."