NORFOLK, Va. — Family and friends are remembering the life of well-known LGBTQ advocate Lexus Walker.
Walker died in head-on crash inside the Downtown Tunnel on Dec. 30. Virginia State Police (VSP) say the person who hit her, 27-year-old Dominique Goodwin, is suspected of driving the wrong way while intoxicated.
On Friday night, a line formed outside 37th & Zen in Norfolk, where Lexus worked, for a celebration of life.
“She was my confidant, somebody that I could rely on," Albert Jackson said.
Jackson called Walker his sister. The two performed together for 15 years. But Friday night, Jackson took the stage solo.
“It’s difficult. I’ve had to [perform solo] for the last couple of shows, and the first show was really difficult for me to even sit in the dressing room because she sits next to me," Jackson said.
Brendan Mulligan, the general manager of 37th and Zen and a close friend of Walker's, said more than 30 people were expected to perform at the celebration of life.
“She would always tell us, ‘Life’s too short. We don’t need to cry about things. We need to celebrate life and keep moving on.' So, that’s what we’re going to do tonight -- is celebrate her life," Mulligan said.
“Live every day as if it were your last. Be happy, enjoy people, learn to forgive, be the Lex that you can be, and live out her legacy," Jackson said.
Last week, the SouthEastern Transgender Resource Center (STRC) held a candlelight vigil in honor of Walker. The STRC said a portion of Friday's performances will go to a scholarship in Walker's name.
VSP says charges are pending against Goodwin.