Regina’s revived drag-extravaganza/fundraiser supports homeless 2SLGBTQIA+ youth
After a two-year hiatus, Walk the Walk returns to Regina this August. The show features drag performances, and hopes to raise funds and public support for homeless 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.
Walk the Walk is being revived by past instructor and current Indigenous executive-in-residence at the Hill-Levene Schools of Business, Jada Yee. Yee, a drag performer, was a winner of the event in 2023 and is now its co-chair.
After the 2023 show, creator Flo Mingo stepped down from her role. Yee approached her to continue the fundraiser, which supports Lulu’s Lodge, in 2026.
Lulu’s Lodge: Lifeline for homeless queer youth
Opening its doors in 2018, Lulu’s Lodge operates as a five-bedroom transitional home for homeless queer youth.
Katie Doke Sawatzky, communications coordinator for Lulu’s Lodge, noted the urgent need for this resource. Sawatzky says 25 to 40 per cent of youth dealing with homelessness identify as queer.
“This is actually the first — for some of them the first time — that they’ve had a supportive home,” says Sawatzky.
Yee notes that homelessness is high among young people due to multiple factors, including family rejection and systemic discrimination.
Lulu’s Lodge is a critical space for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, and after learning that it is self-funded, Yee decided to rejuvenate Walk the Walk. The drag show serves as a primary fundraiser for the lodge.
“It’s a safe place for them to be, amongst people that are like themselves. The workers there can offer that support to help them flourish,” says Yee.
I think it’s our job to be there for them and to show the politicians that this is not how we think. —Jada Yee, Walk the Walk co-chair
Polarized Politics and War on Rights
Yee spoke about the challenges youth face and how the lack of public understanding of their challenges can lead to homelessness.
“I think in today’s political environment, it’s very easy to weaponize LGBTQ rights,” Yee said.
Walk the Walk aims to make a difference by introducing local celebrities who are not part of the community but want to show their support.
Yee believes it is vital to “put faces to headlines.” “The political environment is really creating more of a divide between society and the LGBTQ community,” he says.
Readers will likely be aware of the current backlash against 2SLGPTQ+ rights. In Canada, right-wing politicians stoke prejudice and division, whether it’s the inflammatory rhetoric of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, or discriminatory legislation by Alberta’s Danielle Smith or Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe government’s anti-trans pronoun law.
When talking about broader institutional support, Yee says that in previous years University of Regina President Jeff Keshen, along with UR Pride, awarded scholarships at the event to show solidarity.
While it remains uncertain at the time of publication if the organizations will collaborate to support the event again this year, Yee says details will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
The drag show takes place on Friday, Aug. 28, at Casino Regina.
“If people saw how amazing [drag shows] are, a lot of those walls will be broken down,” says Yee.
