Manifest with Jems pt 2
In researching sex ed that’s actually relevant, Jems spoke with influential thinkers and artists around the world. Part of these conversations involved sharing needs and desires we each felt were pressing – ones that, if met, would radically improve the quality of our lives. From Canada to Indonesia, something everyone had in common was a feeling that all kinds of change were possible suddenly – and necessary.
WE LISTEN.
WE MAKE SPACE.
No matter where or who you are, the past year has been one of undeniable change and challenge. Change is constant of course. This is extra. Though we can’t control every shift happening in our lives, we can adjust how we ride the tides, practice editing how we feel, think, and react to change. And there are always personal evolutions, and maybe even large scale revolutions, one can inspire, direct, and participate in. What do you want to make come?
While some change is more personal, spiritual, or psychological, and can be worked on alone (or with spirit), there are also social and political shifts that are best addressed as a group. Jems is exploring both: manifestations and manifestos, here.
WE WANT TRANS ACTORS CAST IN CIS ROLES.
WE DEMAND MORE RESPECTFUL PORN SEARCH TERMS.
WE HOPE THE SENSITIVITY TO OUR VULNERABILITY STAYS WITH PEOPLE.
WE SUPPORT COMMUNITIES DEFINING THEIR OWN ‘GUIDELINES’.
Though ‘we’ can be tricky word, Jems believes it’s worth engaging with because safer sex and intimate experiences never happen in a vacuum. As one of our consultants told us: ‘I’m made and unmade by society. My personal moods are impacted by social structures.’ To experience the sex, relationships, and experiences of self we yearn for, we need more than safer sex products and facts (though we need those too) – we also need to understand the context we’re living and loving in. History, politics, religion, pop culture, and the economy are all part of sex education.
WE PRACTICE HARM REDUCTION AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE.
WE HONO(U)R COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE.
WE STUDY THE HISTORY OF OUR PRESENT.
WE WANT THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY TO GET CUTE.
WE REQUEST GRIMES TO DONATE A PORTION OF HER EXIT PACKAGE FROM HER MARRIAGE TO ELON MUSK TO DIY ARTISTS LIKE SHE ONCE WAS.
WE SEEK A DOUBLE ENDED DILDO THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.
The manifestos enclosed in this article are offered as inspiration. Directed towards collective change, they are reflections of needs and desires Jems has been hearing on social media, in art, from our confidantes, and communities – as within us. Jems created these manifestos for your consideration and repurposing, as well as to locate some of what Jems is allied with – and will dig into further – as our education initiative continues.
On Jems social, we’re expanding upon the meaning of our manifestos and reflecting on what it means to make demands as a group.
WE NEED MYTHICAL - MAGICAL - LOVE AND ROMANCE - SCI-FI AND ADVENTURE - COMING-OF-AGE - HOT - EROTIC - FUNNY - REAL - RAW - UPLIFTING - JOYFUL - ANTI-RACIST - BLOCKBUSTER AND INDEPENDENT - STORIES BY AND ABOUT GENDER EXPANSIVE PEOPLE.
WE WANT THERE TO BE A FUTURE.