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Her friend and collaborator Peaches Christ confirmed the death on social media on April 3.
I do not know the cause of death yet.
Heklina is not just my best friend but a beloved icon of our community.
I am a mess.
I shall be in touch.
Heklina was born in Minneapolis and lived in Iceland for a few years.
She named herself in honor of the Icelandic volcano Hekla.
She beganTrannyshack, a drag show at the Stud bar, in 1996.
There was a real need forTrannyshack, Heklinatold the Bay AreaReporterin 2008.
People had just stopped dying of AIDS because new medications came out.
It felt like a celebration after all that mourning, which was a dark year for me.
Id planned to go to some peoples funerals and there they were onstage with me.
Peaches joined her in shows regularly, including a yearlyGolden Girls Livein which Heklina played Dorothy.
I continue to admire her work ethic, her tenacity, and her heart.
