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DLSOT Manifesto Official.pdf
- 1. OnTheLow
- 3. An African American girl is talking to her African American uncle about going to the prom. Her uncle is shocked when she reveals she's-contemplating going with another girl. The Uncle had always BELIEVED his niece was STRAIGHT. She had never identified as a lesbian but hinted that she MAY BE BI. The uncle wanted to know whether his niece had "always been LGB or whether her declaration was part of some NEW TREND among young people." In 2018 Mignon R. Moore and Tristan Briggs published this encounter in a discussion about a General Studies Survey that showed an increase in African American females IDENTIFYING as bisexual. The virality of the survey and subsequent absurd analysis is a testament to the challenges a bisexual faces when all she wants to do is go to the prom. Too many social scientists and zealots would rather see this data as a rising trend resulting from immorality, porn, or unavailable black men. instead of a rise in nonconformity of a new era toward freedom to just be. Bisexuals are here, they’re part of everything. Always been here. They’re not as recognizable or boisterous as others but they outnumber several groups combined. We're leaders of a new generation of leaders across gender identity, race, religion, and class systems. It's about realizing your superpower, always your superpower, and understanding that once you feel the presence, it's yours. Most of all, it's about freedom and change and our almost automatic instinct to avoid it at all costs.
- 4. The journey is freedom The freedom to love, to choose a partner, and the people to associate with. The freedom to be neither straight nor curved, to be both or to be neither. The freedom to declare your nobility and to stand in your birthright. The freedom to find your truth hidden in lies and to say no. The freedom to be influential and lead. The freedom to network to reach out to just about anyone in the world. The freedom to learn, to make mistakes, and to change your mind.
- 5. In every city in the world, there are famous; social reformers, human interest groups, organizations, campaigns, #movements, and special interest groups rallying around issues of race, religion, sexual identity, poverty, free speech, gender equality, and justice. Now, more than ever, more of us enjoy the freedom to explore, the freedom to connect, the freedom to investigate truth, the freedom to expression, the freedom to love without restrictions If we choose. The problem is freedom Requires making a choice. It also requires a certain level of risk and responsibility. And lots of uncertainty and for many of us FEAR.
- 6. FREEDOM IS OUR BIRTHRIGHT FREEDOM IS OUR DESTINY Emancipate Yourselves From Mental Slavery
- 7. Judged is not uncommon. It’s how we feel when our choices or decisions are rejected. It’s the emotion associated with survival—we fear being judged until we don’t. The pre-state of judged is belonging. A woman might endure months of initiation to be accepted into a sorority or years of job performance reviews for promotion. She may deny her unhappiness. Judged to be found worthy - uncertain where she belongs - until she isn’t. The problem comes with the emotion we’re supposed to feel when judged. Sadness. We are supposed to be sad so we can get judged over with as soon as possible. Taking a step closer to Love. Leading Edge Love which makes you feel judged at times. It changes limiting belief systems. And disrupts all the rules of engagement in relationships. Love at this level is pure freedom. And so the path is Love —> Judged —> Freedom One way to avoid judgment is to avoid love. A primitive instinct that retards maturity. Thefearofbeingjudged
- 8. ITS A CHOICE IT'S A CHOICE IT'S A CHOICE HOWEVER, the best way to avoid this is to embrace being rejected and skip over sadness. There’s nothing to be sad about except avoiding the feeling of being rejected.EVERYTHING of life is temporary. Remember That! REJECTION BRINGS YOU ONE STEP CLOSER TO FREEDOM. IT'S A GOOD THING. Now, there are three problems associated with freedom:
- 9. C R E A T E L O V E T E N S I O N L O V E C R E A T E T E N S I Usually when we say “keep it on the DL,” we mean keep it on the down low so nobody will know about that relationship you are in, know about that activity you are participating in, know about whom you are having sexual relations. The things you hide that are perceived as wrong, or you fear judgment if discovered. This is the model in which you wait for the world to change for you. Another model of “ the DL,” though, is the model of the person who makes change. We seek the change that is meaningful, the change for better, and most of all, the change that connects us to someone else.This is the freedom to make change, and the willingness to seek out the tension it brings. F r e e d o m C h a n g e
- 10. S O M E O F U S D I D N O T D I E ; I F Y O U C A N F I N A L L Y G O T O T H E B A T H R O O M W H E R E V E R Y O U F I N D O N E , I F Y O U C A N F I N A L L Y O R D E R A C U P O F C O F F E E A N D D R I N K I T W H E R E V E R C O F F E E I S A V A I L A B L E , B U T Y O U C A N N O T F O L L O W Y O U R H E A R T - Y O U C A N N O T R E S P E C T T H E R E S P O N S E O F Y O U R O W N H O N E S T B O D Y I N T H E W O R L D - T H E N H O W M U C H O F W H A T K I N D O F F R E E D O M D O E S A N Y O N E O F U S P O S S E S S ? J U N E J O R D A N L O VE CREATES TENSIO N C R SION CREATES CHANG
- 11. And so, when we keep things on the DL, we take a pass. It’s far more predictable to stay where we are than it is to open ourselves up to a new experience different from the one we’re in. But there’s an alternative. The alternative is to assume all possibilities and then bet on people embracing you. To realize that there’s a third state, the unknown of not yet Contemplate this. A baby learns gender and behavior after being born. Therefore, gender is not actually a biological phenomenon but a social one. With extensive recorded history available biologically, anthropologically and socially speaking, the term bisexual has been hijacked in ways that perpetuate division and distrust. Fear not Freedom. Everything about you is preparation for something moving forward. Moving forward, with gratitude. Moving forward, trusting as you go. The cost of being YOU. You’ve almost certainly heard the stigma and ignorance suggesting bisexuality is a fad. Colonizers and the spread of fundamentalist religiosity are foundational to this myth with the erosion of birthrights and the creation of systems of oppression and erasure. Short History: In 1859, anatomist Robert Bentley Todd first used the term to refer to the possession of ‘male’ and ‘female’ physical characteristics in the same body. 19th-century scientists and psychologists noted that “at an eColonizersarly stage of development, the sexes are indistinguishable”. By the beginning of the twentieth century, this meaning focused on androgyny. The modern meaning which describes sexual and/or romantic attraction rather than sexed or gendered characteristics, only developed in the 1910s.- Stonewall
- 12. Research makes something clear Ancient Egyptians and other civilizations at the time acknowledged a third gender and venerated it. In indigenous culture, they are called two-spirit. In some African tribes binary of genders did not exist. They were assigned based on ENERGY and typically not until later in life. In the royal palaces of Northern Sudan, daughters were sometimes given slave girls for sex. The world you grew up in and your culture matters more than we can imagine. If you are raised in a binary of genders, unable to recognize where your freedom begins and another person's ends, it’s incredibly difficult to bet on a world where you have a choice. Social movements made all of us promises as we grew up. Promises about the rewards of speaking up against racism and sexism. Promises about freedom and equality, about equity, about justice. As the social movements grow in numbers, those promises are being splintered for many caught in the intersection. June Jordan said, "When faced with oppression for being Black, a woman, and for being bi, understanding, your identity-based advantages and disadvantages, prepares you to be a better ally to those facing oppression and persecution in ways you are not. The opportunity that the leading-edge connection brings offers no promises. It offers insights about freedom and living life at your best. And it's not surprising that so many are hesitant to take action…we keep it on the DL instead because we’re used to our system splintering its promises and choosing for us.
- 13. Of course, we’re suspicious of a revolutionary change surrounding love, especially when it involves staring down tradition and requires us to trust ourselves. YOU TRUSTED THEM, NOW IT'S TIME TO TRUST YOU
- 14. Thich Nhat Hanh and “engaged Buddhism”. Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay), the buddhist monk who introduced the concept of mindfulness to the West, led events for top global leaders who were sometimes unagreeable on how to reverse the cycle of violence, global issues, and institute peace and justice. According to Thay, Engaged Buddhism is applying Buddhist principles to political and social reform. At the heart of his work were simple instructions on how to apply mindfulness in daily life and at any time. He advocated for engagement with one another that could lead to open eager and asking relationships. All in search of the harmony of the universe. Thay’s pointings are nonsectarian, their core is universal and equivalent to other spiritual traditions. They are; to protect life, practice social justice, the practice of responsible sexual behavior, practice of deep listening and mindful consumption (for the body and the mind). For Thay, mindfulness is more than daily productivity to check off the to-do list. With mindfulness, we know what is going on in our bodies, feelings, minds, and the world. With this expanded awareness, we can avoid doing harm to ourselves and others. According to scholars, Thich Nhat Hanh’s practice of mindfulness and compassionate action in the world led to what Time Magazine 2014 called the mindful revolution. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called him “an Apostle of peace and nonviolence” when nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. “His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity.” His work helped us understand the connection and interconnectivity of everyone and everything.
- 15. It turns out that his leading-edge approach was not always well received. The weight of his non-conformity in pursuit of peace and his refusal to play politics led to a forced exile from his home (Vietnam)that lasted over 40 years. “Thay harnessed his exiled status to reconcile Eastern and Western political and spiritual challenges resulting in him receiving the Pacem in Terris award on the 50th anniversary year of Martin Luther King Jr.’s selection for the same award.”- PlumVillage.Org Like many trailblazers throughout time, limitations and barriers may slow you down but you can choose to stop or persevere. Thay was partially paralyzed and could not speak in 2014, he used gestures to pursue lasting world peace. He succeeded in creating mindfulness centers under the umbrella of Plum Village all over the world. His story reminds me of the strength and beautiful determination of Justin Spurlock, paralyzed from his neck down his entire adult life as the result of a car accident when he was a teenager. Justin is well into adulthood and has built a successful graphic design company, hosts charitable events for others like him, and is still not done. He’s one of my personal heroes. Being in exile, isolated, paralyzed, or an outsider in this world of soundbites, tik-toks, and ‘reality’ tv can’t stop you. Freedom is yours when living your best life is replaced with living life at your authentic best.
- 18. ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Jenise Brown is an author and thought leader. She writes about valuing people via inclusion, the changing reality, and ideas that spread. Mostly, she creates projects, many of which end up succeeding. You can find her contributions by typing her name into your favorite search engine. BUY THE BOOK | Get more details or buy a copy of Down Low Sister On Top ➔ SEND THIS | Pass along a copy of this manifesto to others. ➔ SUBSCRIBE | Sign up for e-news to learn when our latest manifestos are available. The copyright of this work belongs to the author, who is solely responsible for the content. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivs License. To view a copy of this license, visit Creative Commons or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA. You are given the unlimited right to print this manifesto and distribute it electronically (via email, your website, or any other means). You can print out pages and put them in your favorite hair/nail salon’s waiting area or coffee shop’s windows. You can transcribe the author’s words onto meme’s, IG stories the , or you can hand out copies to everyone you meet. You may not alter this manifesto in any way, though, and you may not charge for it. Info For the story of Justice Stone (the woman on the cover of this manifesto), and to find out more about the book, leading-edge lovers, and new projects, the best place to go is here.