Basic Information: Name Current Title City, State website (if any) regular community events that you produce or participate (limit 3) Favorite Leather item in your arsenal of bar/fetish wear & social media:

Jesbian Bagheera Ms. California Leather 2017 & International Little Miss Little 2014 San Francisco, CA

SF Little Scouts

SFgoL

San Francisco Bay Area Alliance 

Leather Kilt - Cute to wear, Functional to Buff at the Bootblack Stands  

Facebook Name - Jesbian Bagheera

Twitter Name - @JesbianBagheera

Instagram Name - @jesbianbagheera

Fetlife Name - Jesbian

POC Education Directory - VividLeather.org

Sponsors

I am Sponsored by the SF Little Scouts, San Francisco girls of Leather, Folsom Street Events, Leather Heat Inc. I am one of the Founding Members for SF Littles Scouts and currently work as the Public Relations Officer. I am currently the Outreach Officer for SFgoL and have been an active volunteer with them. I am the Bootblack Concierge for the Main Bootblack Stands at Dore Alley Street Fair and Folsom Street Fair. And I am the current Ms. California Leather 2017 which is produced with Leather Heat Inc.    

Favorite Charity:

I have two favorite Charities....

The Leather Alliance is 100% Volunteer Based that houses many projects.  They seek to facilitate community members in safely learning, growing, connecting, honoring and enjoying each other. They also also maintain an emergency Grants Account. Community members in financial need because of accident, serious illness or death of a significant other that causes financial hardship may apply to receive up to $1500 in assistance for basic living expenses.

The Second is Taking it To the Streets SF! This organization empowers homeless youth to lead better lives by providing a continuum of workforce readiness, job skills training, personal mentoring, safe housing, and other services to support self-sufficiency for youth and young adults ages 18-27. They work with youth who are ready to turn their lives around and get off the streets for good. We are in the game of ending chronic homelessness before it begins 

How you feel about community service?:

I believe community service is a human duty. I grew up in a Croatian Roman Catholic home where you practiced radical hospitality. I was taught to make the world what you want it to be by giving back to the world. Each act of giving and receiving service helps renew my faith in humanity. After all, we are good people trying to leave this world in better shape than when we got here. If we do not shape the world by giving back, then it ceases to be a place that reflects our best selves, our core values, and our authentic intentions.           

What makes you a Leather Woman and/or Bootblack?:

I live my life unapologetically as a sex positive, body positive, queer, little, chosen family adoptee, radical hospitality giver, leather licking femme. This is a very small glitter glimmer into what makes me a Leather Woman. Leather is not what we wear, it is who we are.      

Who is your favorite Leather Woman…Why?:

Jill Carter who coined the phrase in the Leather Community "Each One, Teach One".  I am not lucky enough to know her personally, however that phrase is one of the first things I was taught in the community. So before I even knew it’s attribution, I owed my approach to her and her legacy. Her phrase inspired me to push the envelope when no one would listen or give me the space. Her legacy sparked my desire to help other littles by co-founding the Little Scouts which is now in over 20 states. So thank you Jill Carter.       

What do you feel is the most dangerous mis-information passed through traditional & social media affecting our community today, and how would you combat it should the opportunity arise?:

Very simply the phrase...The One True Way. The belief that there is only one way to do, or be. This is encapsulated in the word: “should.” This phrase blocks any active listening our community could do in order to find common ground and inclusivity. The best way to combat this is by being an active listener. To teach others to be active listeners. In a moment when we are ready to interrupt and explain why someone is wrong, it is often better to instead sit in that moment and be uncomfortable. To learn to accept another’s opinion and hear fully what the other person has to say, and then to grow and learn.     

In 100 words or less what will you do as IMsL or IMsBB to promote your title?:

Everything and anything I possibly can. To be unapologetically me as a Leather Little. To travel to conferences and different towns to collect classes and presenters for my POC Education Directory. And do more cross over in the kink/vanilla world. I had no idea what leather was until I stumbled upon a Leather Alley at Pride. So my third focus would be to find the Leather people that don’t know that they are, and to be an avenue for them to ask questions and hope to bring them in as the next generation.