Scissor Sisters’ Ana Matronic to lead protest against homophobia in Met Police in memory of Heklina
Ana Matronic (L) will be one of the speakers at the protest against Met Police ‘homophobia’ in the wake of Heklina’s (R) death (Getty)
A protest outside the Houses of Parliament has been planned in memory of US drag queen Heklina, to raise awareness of alleged homophobia within the Metropolitan Police.
Peaches Christ, whose real name is Joshua Grannell, posted the news about the protest on Instagram on Wednesday (5 March).
“We demand justice for Heklina and every person treated unfairly by London’s Metropolitan Police as a result of that force’s homophobia,” Peaches wrote, adding that the protest will start from Big Ben at 10am on 31 March.
Speakers set to join the demonstration include fellow drag queens Cheddar Gorgeous and Crystal, as well Scissor Sisters singer Ana Matronic.
Heklina – real name Stefan Grygelko – was found unresponsive by Grannell at a property in Soho Square in April 2023 and was pronounced dead at the scene under circumstances police referred to as “unexpected”.
A month earlier, a review into the Met by Baroness Louise Casey found the force was institutionally homophobic, racist and misogynistic.
Earlier this year, the Met released CCTV images of three men seen at Heklina’s flat on the day she died and issued an appeal for them, or anyone who knows them, to come forward.
Issuing an apology on behalf of the force, detective chief superintendent Christina Jessah said she appreciated Grannell and Heklina’s wider family and friends “had been frustrated by the pace of the investigation”, adding: “We apologise and will be taking steps to correct this.”
Officers were also continuing to speak to London’s LGBTQ+ community to address wider safety concerns, Jessah went on to say.
PinkNews has contacted the Met for comment.
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