If behind every great man is a great woman, then behind every great drag queen is a fierce and fabulous man! Meet Stefan Grygelko, the man behind Heklina, co-creator of San Francisco cult-hit live-on-stage drag versions of The Golden Girls, Sex & The City and other classic TV sitcoms, and the creator, producer and hostess of alternative drag show Trannyshack, now in its 17th year and which holds its 14th Annual Trannyshack Star Search Friday, Feb. 15.  Eric Jansen hosts.  Broadcast live 7pm Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013.

May 23, 2023 NOTE: This interview is from February 2013, more than a decade ago. The following year, Heklina honored transgender community concerns and dropped the name Trannyshack. The show became ‘Mother’ in January 2015. We present this interview now, on the day Heklina’s memory is being honored in San Francisco, as a tribute to her and Stefan Grygelko and as the important piece of history it is. You can hear more about the name change and the change in the meaning of the word “tranny” over the years in these two features: Trannyshack Is Now Your Mother – Out In The Bay and ‘Faux Queen: A Life in Drag’ – Out In The Bay Thank you for listening to and supporting Out in the Bay – Queer Radio + Podcast!

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