Renowned San Francisco drag performer Heklina was found dead Monday in London, England, where she was performing in a touring show, CBS Bay Area reported.
The death of Heklina — also known as actor Stefan Grygelko — was first reported in social media posts by fellow drag artist and performing partner Peaches Christ (aka Joshua Grannell), with whom Heklina was touring in “Mommie Queerest,” a musical parody of the 1981 Joan Crawford biopic “Mommie Dearest.”
“I am living in a real-life nightmare so forgive me if I don’t have all the answers just now,” read the message Grannell posted on both the Peaches Christ Facebook page and his page under his name. “This morning, in London, England I went to collect my dear friend Heklina, who is costarring with me in a Mommie Queerest show here, and found her dead. I do not know the cause of death yet. I know this is shocking news and I am beyond stunned, but I wanted to let folks know what has happened.”
Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic for Clusterfest
The Soho Theatre in London, where the production of “Mommie Queerest” was being staged, told CBS News it was, “in shock and incredibly saddened with the news of Heklina’s passing. Our thoughts are with Peaches and the Mommie Queerest company, Heklina’s family, friends and their wider community at this time.”
No details regarding the cause of death were immediately released by authorities.
San Francisco lawmaker Matt Haney also tweeted about the death of Heklina, calling her “a drag legend, brilliant performer and trailblazing community icon.”
“My condolences and love goes out to all of Heklina’s friends, family, and loved ones, and the entire LGBTQ and drag communities,” he added.
State Sen. Scott Wiener released a statement after the news came out, saying he was “absolutely devastated.”
“Heklina was an icon in the truest sense — funny, caring, outrageous, and brave. I first saw Heklina perform when I was a young gay man in the 1990s, new to San Francisco. Over the years, I got to know her and helped her find a space for Oasis. I’ve rarely worked with someone as fierce, creative, and dedicated,” Wiener said. “Heklina created events and community spaces that spun glitter and giant wigs and raucous jokes into a feeling of home. She was fiercely outspoken and always stood up for her friends and community. She was the soul of San Francisco, and it’s hard to imagine the city without her.”
“Heklina was also a staunch defender of drag — which is under extreme attack right now — and created opportunities for young drag queens to find their space,” he added. “While we grieve, we must honor her memory by remembering the joy she brought us and the importance of the art form to which she dedicated her life.”
In addition to performing with Peaches Christ in a variety of stage productions, as well as appearing as Dorothy Zbornak in the San Francisco drag production of “The Golden Girls” — which would regularly hold sold-out runs of its annual holiday show — Heklina was best known as one of the co-founders of the long-running drag show “Trannyshack” that started at San Francisco’s Stud club in the mid-1990s.
More recently, Heklina was part of the group of owners that relaunched the nightclub and theater the Oasis in San Francisco’s SoMa District that had its grand reopening in 2014. She would also appear regularly as host and emcee for a variety of community events.
