D.J. ‘Shangela’ Pierce on Supporting the Drag Community in Times of Crisis

D.J. Pierce, who is best known by his drag-queen persona, Shangela, recently spoke to TIME from his grandmother’s house in Paris, Texas where he’s been keeping busy during quarantine.

The actor and performer has launched an initiative called Feed the Queens to raise money for drag performers who are unable to make a living as nightlife across the country has been shut down.

Many in-person Pride events have been cancelled this year. But Pierce still sees many ways for the LGBTQIA+ community to celebrate, including by taking part in current protests against systemic racism and police brutality: “Now it’s our turn to make sure that we don’t go backwards, but we move forward.”