The Heartbreak Of The Oakland Fire And Young Artists’ Need For Underground Spaces

With nine confirmed dead and dozens missing, the fire on Dec. 2 has devastated a whole community. Vital members of Oakland’s arts and music scene – and many queer and trans artists of color – are likely gone. Some who survived say “these non-permitted residences that host underground shows are often the only safe place for marginalized people, those who find above-the-board and sanctioned venues unsafe or inhospitable.”