PROTECT QUEER ART

THE QUEER|ART TEE SHOP presents its latest edition, designed by Megami—drag queen, NYC's Unholy Goddess, and the icon who stopped a lip sync cold to hold up a sign that said everything.

You know the moment. Season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race. "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes. The signs. “PROTECT QUEER ART.” It became a meme, yes, but it was always something more: a precise and necessary act, delivered at the exact moment mainstream support for queer people was quietly folding. With a few boards and glitter letter stickers, Megami said what needed to be said.

This tee is built from Megami’s iconic image and the conviction behind it. Rio Sofia, Executive Director of Queer|Art, says of the shirt, "I've dreamt of this collaboration between Queer|Art and Megami since I saw her performance on Drag Race live at a local bar in Brooklyn back in 2024. She was the real winner of that challenge, and the lasting impression of her performance is proof of it. Megami held up that sign at the exact moment mainstream support for queer people and LGBTQ organizations was collapsing. Corporations were abandoning Pride, and with that, gigs were disappearing—not just for nonprofits like Queer|Art, but for artists, for drag performers, the people who make queer culture visible.”

“Megami’s image became an immediate meme, much to her credit, as a divisive gag with a message deeper than most understood. And in an era of censorship and defunding, she transcended the noise with virality (not to mention, a lip sync smackdown with a vengeance). Queer artists are sacred—especially in times like these, when speaking truth to power is brave and necessary," Sofia shares.

Offered for a limited time, this tee is available in exchange for a donation to Queer|Art beginning at $50, with increased contributions encouraged. All profits support Queer|Art’s work serving LGBTQ+ artists across generations and disciplines.

For all inquiries please contact Communications Director, Andrius Alvarez-Backus, at andrius@queer-art.org

PROTECT QUEER ART

Get the shirt honoring the meme with a message!