In Memory of Leesh: Dustin le Rugrat, Community Champion

On Saturday 7 February, we lost Leesh.

She was known in Kings of Joy as Dustin le Rugrat - a Drag King who showed up in rainbow tie-dyed t-shirts, Rugrats overalls, and the kind of bright, bold shorts that made you smile before she even opened her mouth. She painted her beard on with face paint because makeup irritated her skin. She crocheted tiny hearts to throw to the audience during her final solo performance to "Walls" by Aydan. She collected figurines. She said, "You got this," when people were nervous.

And she was our Community Champion.

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Leesh lived with disabilities and never let them define what she could do. She showed up - consistently, generously, and with a kind of quiet determination that made space for everyone else to show up too.

She lived in Bateman’s Bay, a 3.5-hour drive from Sydney. She attended every Kings of Joy rehearsal online. And then, when it was time to perform at Drag Kingdom, she and Mamma Jo - who was also her carer - made the drive so she could be on stage.

One of the things Leesh loved doing was surprising us - especially me and Chris. She'd say in the Kings of Joy community chat, "Have a great night", or "Jealous. Wish I could be there" when we had a show on. And then she'd show up, having driven up to Sydney with Mamma Jo, grinning.

Over the last 5 years, Leesh participated in 8 Kings of Joy All Stars groups. She mastered choreography remotely in 7 group routines plus a duo. She debuted her first solo performance - and even did a second one. In November 2024, I presented her with the Kings of Joy Certification of Dedication - honouring her outstanding commitment to showing up, round after round, even when it pushed her outside her comfort zone.

She spoke during online introductions for new first-time Kings, even when it was uncomfortable. She encouraged people who were hesitant. She helped invent the title "Community Champion" together with me, naming who she already was before we had language for it.

That's what a Community Champion does. They hold the culture. They make the room safer by being in it. They show people what it looks like to belong.

Leesh did that. Not because she was the loudest or the most confident. But because she cared. And because she kept showing up, even when it was hard.

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Her final message in the Kings of Joy community chat was a reply to the reminder about the Drag King flashmob on Sat 7 February: "I willl be there in spirit."

She couldn’t make the 3.5-hour drive that day. But post-performance, the wind shifted. The air cooled. One of the Kings said softly, "She said she'd be here in spirit."

We gathered afterwards in grief. We called Mamma Jo. We held one another. We coordinated support resources -  Griefline, Q-Life, Lifeline - because that's what community does. It holds. It doesn't fix, but it holds.

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The preview performance of They Will Be Kings was dedicated to Leesh the night before the season opened. We spoke her name. We held her presence in the room.

And this June, during Pride Month, the Drag Kingdom show will be dedicated to her - not as a memorial, but as a celebration of her life. Of what she gave us. Of the Leesh-shaped hole she's left in this community that no one else will ever fill.

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Leesh wasn't famous. She wasn't on billboards. She didn't headline shows or accumulate thousands of followers.

But she mattered.

She mattered to the people she encouraged. She mattered to the first-timers who heard her say "You got this" and believed it. She mattered to the community she helped shape just by being herself - disabilities and all, discomfort and all, rainbow t-shirts and crocheted hearts and all.

She showed us what it looks like to belong. And now we carry her forward.

Not by trying to replace her. Not by forgetting the grief. But by continuing to show up the way she did - for one another, for the new people who are still finding their way, for the culture we're building together.

That's what Community Champions do. They live in the room long after they've left it.

Rest easy, Leesh.

We've got this.

Xx

Danica Lani

The King Coach

About Danica Lani, The King Coach

Hey you 👋 I’m Danica Lani—also known as The King Coach. I’ve mentored 150 first-time Drag Kings since 2020, and I’m here to say: if you’re feeling the pull to explore gender through performance, you’re not alone—and you’re not too late.

Whether you’re new to this world or quietly dreaming of stepping into your masculine side on stage, there’s space for you here.

✨ Ready to name your King? Download Claim Your Drag King Name in 4 Simple Steps—a free guide to choosing your Drag King name.

💫 Want to see what’s possible? Explore Kings of Joy and discover the queer community bringing masculine expression to life with joy, power, and heart.

📸 Sarah Malone.