HxStory

How We Started

Devi was burning out hard from unsustainable roles in social justice movements. All their friends were, too. When Devi asked around for tips, they got tons of stories from activists and organizers about the nonprofit industrial complex, or as Dylan Rodríguez wrote in The Revolution Will Not Be Funded, “the managed control of dissent.”

Along the way, Devi noticed they were more effective reaching people’s hearts and minds on stage with a microphone than at a demo with a megaphone. They wanted to help build social justice culture that thrives on:

• Collaboration, not competition

• Courageous conversations, not shit-talking

• Healing from trauma, not perpetuating it

• Joy, fun, humor, play, sexiness and sass, not dull, drab, doom-and-gloom, “I’m better than you,” and “don’t talk about sex” tones

After talking with beloveds connected to Critical Resistance, Dignidad Rebelde, INCITE, Mangos With Chili, POOR Magazine, QWOCMAP, Sins Invalid and others, they recruited a dream team of long-time activists, organizers, artists, cultural workers and healers to launch Peacock Rebellion. Our first cabaret show, Agen(c)y: Nonprofit Dreams + Disasters, debuted in Fall 2012.