BMiles Women's Foundation & Sydney Ms Leather 2023: Iz Bear!

By Harry Hadley @QNEWS

Sydney Ms Leather 2023 Iz Bear’s passion and dedication have not only earned her that accolade but have also fueled her remarkable efforts in philanthropy, raising over $3000 for the BMiles Women’s Foundation.

Iz’s commitment to fostering inclusivity and camaraderie is exemplified through her popular event, Dark N Stormy, which creates a welcoming space for leather women to connect and celebrate their shared culture.

She spoke to QNews ahead of handing the sash to the next Sydney Ms Leather during Sydney Leather Week from July 18-28.

What have been some of the highlights of holding the title?

For me, the highlight has been raising over $3000 for a charity that’s really close to my heart; The BMiles Women’s Foundation.

They’re a not-for-profit that provides housing and case management support for women who are experiencing mental health conditions and who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

The charity is really important to me because, whilst I have a minor degree of financial privilege now by having a full-time job, I certainly didn’t not too long ago.

I was couch surfing for months and BMiles gave me a roof over my head until I found an affordable rental.

Since then I’ve supported BMiles by nominating them as the charity for Dykes on Bikes Sydney. Over the last four or five years I’ve put them up at our AGM and they’ve received about $2000 a year each year and then another $3000 on top from me this year.

I like to think that I’m trying to pay my dues and making the world that we live in a better one.

There’s this saying from the Wurundjeri language: ‘Yindyamarra Winhanganha,’ which means ‘the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in.’

Yindyamarra is one of those concepts that I try to bring to the community, not by preaching at them, but by creating spaces and living with respect and to seek to understand what’s going on before I do things.

Read the full article here: https://qnews.com.au/sydney-ms-leather-2023-iz-bear/