A Clare Resident and HIV Long-Term Survivor on a Lifetime of Community and Charity — June 11, 2025
Left: Briett Marie (aka Gregory Speak) during her reign as Empress XIII in 2005
Right: Briett Marie at this year’s Imperial Court coronation gala
Gregory Speak embodies his name. He’s lived at Clare Housing for over 30 years, he’s seen it all and he’s ready to speak on it. From his longtime work with the Imperial Court, to coming out as gay in the 70’s, to living at Clare Housing as a long-term survivor of AIDS, he has a deep well of experience and wisdom to share with his community.
Greg has been involved with organizing charity fundraising events for nearly 50 years. He recounts a story of helping organize a fundraiser for Jerry’s Kids in the early 80’s at the Townhouse bar. Although it wasn’t their first fundraiser for the group, that year the money was to be collected by the Marines, which did not welcome gay people at the time. They refused to take the donation because it was raised by a gay group. “So we heard about a house in St. Paul, a hospice for people dying of AIDS, and gave the money to them,” he says.
Today, Greg does his charity work through the Imperial Court of Minnesota (ICM), a part of the international Imperial Court System. Founded in San Francisco by Mother Jose, the Imperial Court System has been bringing people together since 1965, raising money for charitable causes while donning their royal best.
ICM chooses an Empress and Emperor annually at a coronation gala. They reign for one year while fundraising for local causes. The group puts on four major fundraising events each year, including the coronation, which draws members from other Imperial Courts around the world. Most Empresses are drag queens, but the membership is mixed, with everyone welcome. “We never say no to anyone; if you want to be involved in charity fundraising, we also do garage sales, we did a cookbook, we find different ways to create money,” Greg says. Greg’s alter ego Briett Marie served as Empress XIII in 2005 and raised $20,000 that year. Two decades later, Greg continues to stay active with the Imperial Court’s busy social calendar.
Greg has worked a colorful array of jobs – from a florist to a funeral home – and in the 70’s he started working as a female impersonator at the Sandbox Cabaret on Hennepin Ave in downtown Minneapolis. “Back then being gay was totally illegal. The only time you could be dressed in drag was on Halloween,” he explains.
Working in the bars he was able to help organize big fundraisers, “When AIDS had become an epidemic, I was working at the Gay 90’s, and a bunch of bar owners downtown did a fundraiser called the Healing of the Hearts and we donated to the Aliveness Projects.” However, at the same time people living with HIV faced a great deal of stigma, something Greg found quite painful. He describes bartenders throwing away drinking glasses used by people with Kaposi’s Sarcoma, a visible opportunistic infection that can affect people living with AIDS. “I would hug men with Kaposi’s and people would get angry with me,” Greg says. “The discrimination in the gay community was as bad as from straight people.”
Greg’s impressive record of charitable work is all the more impressive when you know his history. He was very ill when he first moved into the Agape Dos Community Care Home in the mid-90’s. “They were designed to for people who were dying,” he says of the Community Care Homes at the time, continuing “they didn’t expect me to live but here I am… I’m one of the last of the dinosaurs.”
After all that adversity, Greg is enjoying life at Clare Apartments, where he has lived since the building opened in 2005. “I have a very nice one bedroom here,” he says “I have collected lots of art and glass, as well as copper pots, inspired by Swedish grandma.” When asked his age today, Greg says 37 with a wink. He is still greatly involved with the Imperial Court and is excited to show off his recent opportunities to join them in drag. There aren’t many of the original founding group still around, but Greg is very happy to continue participating as an elder. Proudly, he describes working with the younger crowd running the Court today: “They call me Grandma.”
The Imperial Court Reign 33 Monarchs have chosen Clare Housing as one of three charity recipients for the year. Please join us on Saturday, June 14th for their Pre-Pride Party at the Saloon and follow their Facebook page for other upcoming events.