Family of missing well-known Winnipeg drag performer plead for help

“Family, everybody is concerned for your safety.” Family and friends of well-known Winnipeg drag performer Kevin Tan, who goes by the stage name Slaytana, are placing missing person posters in the downtown area. Tan has been missing and has not been heard from for several days.

“Honestly, it’s really hard. It’s starting to hit me for sure,” said Kim Guieb, Kevin Tan’s sister.

Tan’s sister Kim Guieb says he was last seen on Friday, Dec. 3. Police informed the family that Kevin went to the hospital on Dec. 8, but left. Guieb says she and her family are hoping he is in the downtown area.

“It’s obviously tough on my parents and the rest of our family. We have a big family. But we have our head up and we’re just hoping for his safety and that he comes home.”

Guieb says this is completely out of character, and out of the ordinary for her brother.

“He had a show that he was hosting at Fame on Saturday night, and he didn’t show up. That never happens,” said Guieb.

Barry Karlenzig has known Kevin for many years and says it’s extremely disheartening to have him missing.

“He always makes sure to go the extra mile for anyone to help out no matter what they need, and he has been family,” said Barry Karlenzig, President of Pride Winnipeg.

The family has filed a missing persons report with the police and has shared the poster online, which has garnered a lot of attention, but not in the way they hoped, some reaction has been hateful and discriminatory.

“Just the negative comments still seen through it. It’s disgusting some of the comments we’ve seen. Pride Winnipeg turned off its comments on some of its posts because we started to get hate speech. There’s no need for hate speech. Someone is missing in our community; someone is missing in Winnipeg. As Winnipeggers, we should be coming together to find this individual,” said Karlenzig.

Karlenzig says more education is needed to break the ongoing systemic barriers and societal discrimination members in the 2SLGBTQ+ community face.

“This is a human being. This is an individual who as family and friends that miss them, that love them. Hate speech is not tolerated and we are in 2022, about to go into 2023, and what we are seeing is speech that you would never expect to see.”

Guieb is sending a message to her brother. “We’re here for you, we love you. Just let us know [where you are] that’s all.”

Police have confirmed the family has filed a missing persons report and are not providing any details on the case at this time. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Kevin, you are asked to contact the family or police.