Shangela

Acting Appreciation

Recently, Texas enacted a law placing restrictions on public drag performances, reflecting an ongoing struggle in the state. Certain right-wing conservatives express discomfort, attributing their sexual insecurities to performers in elaborate makeup. The further one ventures into rural areas, the more apprehensive conservatives become about the perceived influence of drag on themselves and their children.

A few years back, I came across Out North Texas magazine, featuring drag queen Shangela as the cover star. For those unfamiliar, Shangela is a drag queen, reality TV personality, and actor hailing from Texas.

Born on November 22, 1981, in Lamar County, Texas, Chataize Darius Jeremy (DJ) Pierce grew up in a conservative environment. Nevertheless, DJ embraced drag during high school.

After high school, DJ pursued a degree in corporate communications at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Landing a job at TGI Fridays headquarters in Dallas, a Halloween party changed the course of DJ's life. Impersonating Michael Jackson she caught the attention of the CEO, leading to encouragement to move to Los Angeles and work at Pick Up Stix.

In 2009, Shangela Laquifa Wadley emerged as DJ's drag persona, choreographing a three-person drag act in L.A. Soon after, Shangela joined the cast for season two of RuPaul's Drag Race. Despite being the first queen eliminated, her popularity led to a return in the following season and guest appearances in season 4.

Shangela's talent extended beyond drag race, with appearances in TV series like Community, The Soup, 2 Broke Girls, Glee, and Bones. She also featured in HBO's reality TV series "We're Here," documenting drag queens recruiting small-town residents for one-night-only drag shows—a world Shangela intimately knows, hailing from rural Texas.

When asked if Shangela carries Texas Pride wherever she goes, she told Out North Texas, "Texas is home to me, no matter where I go throughout the world. My family roots are here in Paris... I think people have their stereotypes of Texas -- especially small towns: Southern, white, conservative. And they nailed it! But there is so much more, and I try to represent the warmth and hospitality and diversity of what Texas has."

Sources:

Wikipedia

Lopez, Rich. "Shangela Is Here with All Her Texas Pride." Out North Texas, 2022, pp. 36-38.

https://inmagazine.ca/2018/03/halleloo-evolution-shangela/

https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-drag-queen-shangela-were-here-hbo/

https://www.fastcompany.com/90493549/inside-the-hustle-and-grit-of-drag-superstar-shangelas-rise-to-hollywood