Outright discrimination on behalf of the barber is not uncommon (announcing out loud for instance that, ‘we don’t cut women’s hair’). It can lead to profound feelings of anxiety and insecurity, sometimes combined with the impression of physical threat. This kept cropping up in my interviews with those affected; “feeling unsafe”,”thinking, ‘what’s going to happen to me now’?”, “people staring”. These are powerful attestations, making clear how devastating a simple trip to the barbers can be. One interviewee, Anna, who is queer, stated simply, “I know when I’m not welcome”.
Casey Hevey
Photos by Babs Daly.
BeLonG To held a day’s activities during Transboree celebrations in November 2018, which was organised in conjunction with the group IndividualiTy, for trans and non-binary young people. It was a day dedicated to body positivity among a cohort of young people coming together to celebrate their identity and get a free haircut from a strong advocate for safe spaces and diversity in barbering - Casey Hevey. According to Casey, who is non-binary, “After I came back from Australia, I thought I’d like to be that safe space for other younger queer and gender diverse people in Ireland. I reached a level and thought I could successfully give good haircuts, and [thought] I could use these skills to pay it back - to BeLonG To specifically. As a young queer person in Ireland, I’d used their services. Not for very long, but I did go. And I made my own connections in that place, so I thought it was the perfect place to try to sort something out - to give back and do something.” Ianto Lynch, member of IndividualiTY and a young trans man, was instrumental in organising the days events, being the brain behind the chillout area, the clothes swap, and the polaroid photos ‘as keepsakes.’ As Ianto affirmed, he was ‘shocked by the numbers that came’.