QUEER HAIR
Queer shears
DISCOVER THE GAMECHANGING SALONS PROVIDING IDENTITY-AFFIRMING HAIRCUTS TO THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITY
WORDS AMELIE MAURICE-JONES
Tucked away in colourful Brighton is Jimi’s Barbershop. Walk through metal chairs and wrestling posters and you reach eclectic haven, Queer Shears. Cat statues peek down from the mirror as I settle in for a fresh trim. I’m surrounded by cow-print wallpaper, offbeat zines and framed posters which say things like “Homosexuals in this area!”
The quirky decor mirrors the creativity of the stylist, Nat Pederson Torea (they/she). Scrolling through their Instagram page you’re met with an array of bright cuts, bold shears and shaggy mullets, with 99% of the clientele identifying as LGBTQIA. Nothing is too much for the 25-year-old, but I’m toeing the line with a simple trim.