A protest against institutional homophobia in the Metropolitan police is being organised in London, featuring a number of speakers such as former Scissor Sisters singer Ana Matronic, Drag Race stars Cheddar Gorgeous and Crystal and drag artist Peaches Christ.

Set to take place on March 31, the protest will start at 10am at Big Ben. Participants will then march along the Embankment to the Met Police headquarters, where the speeches will take place.

The protest was organised to call for justice for late drag artist Heklina, also known as Steven Grygelko, who was found dead in a residential property in London’s Soho Square on April 3, 2023.

Heklina’s body was found by fellow performer Peaches Christ, also known as Joshua Grannell, who she was touring with at the time. The pair were working on their show Mommie Queerest, a parody of the 1981 cult film Mommie Dearest, which was slated for a two-week run in the Soho Theatre from April 12 to 29.

At the time, Grannell described the incident as “a real-life nightmare”, adding “Heklina is not just my best friend, but a beloved icon of our community.”

 

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Un post condiviso da Peaches Christ (@thepeacheschrist)

Last month, the Metropolitan Police released an appeal for information in relation to Heklina’s death, issuing CCTV footage showing three people who may have “vital information” about the artist’s death. This development came nearly two years after the investigation on Heklina’s death began.

Grannell recently spoke out about this delay, saying that after Heklina’s body was found he was assigned a family liaison officer by the Met and he was supposed to receive weekly updates on the investigation. However, he received no updates and no responses to his subsequent emails.

“They just completely ignored us,” Grannell told the BBC. “I hate being the person who incorrectly would cry homophobia, if it’s not homophobia. But they have left me no choice.”

Calling for people to join the protest on March 31, Peaches Christ, Scissor Sisters member Ana Matronic, and Drag Race star Cheddar Gorgeous shared an Instagram post with the caption: “We demand justice for Heklina and every person treated unfairly by London’s Metropolitan Police as a result of that force’s homophobia.”

In a statement to Attitude, Drag Race star Crystal commented on the protest, saying: “Heklina was one of the first people to give me an international booking, in SF, long before Drag Race, and I’ve remained a huge admirer.

“I’m horrified to learn from Peaches about the huge failures of the Met police in the investigation and communication surrounding her death.

“Marginalised communities know first hand the bias that can be found within the police force – we demand answers, we demand justice and we demand better.”