LOL
About LOL
Liberating Ourselves Locally (LOL) was the first queer and trans Black, Indigenous, people of color (QTBIPOC) -centered, social justice -focused Maker Space in the US.
Made in 2011, merged with Peacock Rebellion in 2017, and led by a QTBIPOC crew of hackers, healers, artists and activists, LOL shared space, tools and skills for community to gather, learn, play, experiment, and build while working on projects they love, for self-determination and community power.
We closed LOL in December 2021. Follow our socials or hop on our email list to find out how to plug in to our other programs. We're always hatching something ;)
FAQ ABOUT CLOSING LOL
Why did LOL close?
A mix of reasons, but mostly to hold to our values of disability justice: It was too risky for our crew to cram people into LOL in COVID times. Our crew is immune-compromised & we want to keep them safe and protected.
Plus: Our people got displaced. None of Peacock Rebellion's crew live in the neighborhood anymore. A ton of our core artists got displaced from Oakland; some left the Bay.
We’ll still be around making art online & in-person in community spaces; using art & tech for organizing; and making it easier for QTBIPOC to make art with less strings and more cash.
What will happen to the LOL space?
The Liberated 23rd Ave. building's awesome land trust (Oakland Community Land Trust - OakCLT) is working to find another tenant that’s aligned with the values of the building's residents.
Will Peacock Rebellion/LOL still be involved with the Liberated 23rd Ave. land trust after you leave?
No, that power should be held by the people who live there. We raised $40,000 and transferred it to the land trust for complete control by the residents <3
What will happen to Peacock Rebellion after LOL closes?
We’ll still be around making art online & in-person in community spaces; using art & tech for organizing; and making it easier for QTBIPOC to make art with less strings and more cash.
What if I still want to do tech things with LOL ppl?
Check out the amazing:
QTPOC in Tech, started by former LOL member Ai
Equality Labs, founded by the sibling of former LOL steering committee member Theeba and featuring LOL co-founder Praveen
GameHeads and TekPerfect, both with leadership from LOL co-founder Alfonso
PARTEE 4 Justice, co-founded by LOL co-founder Jen-Mei
Palante Tech Coop, co-founded by former LOL steering committee member Jack