To be queer in the Black hair care industry is to be a trendsetter. Modern icons such as Billy Porter, Lavern Cox, Lena Waithe and Ru Paul helped normalize what it means to embrace the beauty in Black queerness despite industry standards traditionally favoring stereotypical white beauty.
Image Source: @coastal.curl
Hair care is one of the few ways queer people can openly express their sexuality through their style, aside from clothing. However, they have historically faced ridicule in spaces where they’ve dared to be open.
Many queer people have been refused service, discriminated against, or treated poorly in beauty spaces that are supposed to be designed to help them feel like the best version of themselves.
As the beauty industry has become more accepting, it has become increasingly important to ensure there are inclusive places where queer people can receive hair care without judgment because they deserve to feel just as beautiful as their heterosexual cis-gendered counterparts — no questions asked.
Here are 12 BIPOC-owned queer-friendly salons and barbershops aiming to create safe places for LGBTQIA+ individuals in the beauty industry:
1. Alternativee Hair — London, UK
Image Source: @alternativeehair
Not only is Lois, the salon stylist behind Alternativee Hair, known for going viral on Tik Tok; she’s also known for specializing in queer hair care and beauty. Lois specializes in creating alternative designs and creative color work for curls of every texture. Alternative Hair also provides other natural hair care services such as silk presses, loc maintenance, Bantu knots, and more.
2. Benders Collective — Long Beach, California
Benders Collective, previously known as Salon Bender, is a curated experience fit for people seeking hair care and holistic wellness. The Hispanic woman-owned queer-friendly salon was created by Jessie Santiago, a hair artist with over 20 years in the beauty industry. Benders Collective offers ritualistic hair cuts, hair color, scalp care, meditation, somatic therapy, and other wellness services.
3. Cabello Hair Studio — Portland, Oregon
Image Source: @cabellostudio
Portland’s Cabello Studio Hair Salon is a Hispanic queer-owned plant-based sustainable hair salon. The owner of Cabello, Jonathan Bermudez, works with two other licensed professionals to create hair colors and haircuts customized for every client.
In addition to tailor-made experiences for every client, Bermudez has created the Cabello Foil, “ a unique brand of foils with a message of love in a variety of custom prints and color combinations.”
4. Camera Ready Kutz — Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn-based Camera Ready Kutz is a queer-focused, Black woman-owned barbershop that wants to rewrite the history of LGBTQIA+ individuals who fear for their safety and receive less-than-satisfactory grooming treatment in the hair care space.
After Khane Kutzwell experienced her beauty salon peers being discriminatory to her clientele, she created Camera Ready Kutz in 2007. Camera Ready Kutz offers many barbershop services, such as tappers, line-up loc maintenance, twist and braid sets, big chops, and facials.
5. Coastal Curls — Oakland, California
Image Source: @coastal.curl
Those with textured hair can expect nothing less than the best from salon stylists at Oakland’s Coastal Curl salon, regardless of where they are in their natural hair journey. The Black and queer-owned holistic hair care oasis prides itself on being a multicultural community where hair care and healing happen simultaneously.
In addition to focusing on making clients feel like the best version of themselves, Coastal Curl is also concerned with supporting small, local, and BIPOC businesses that create organic, sustainable products in the United States.
6. Good Hair — Austin, Texas
Good Hair Company is a queer Black-owned multi-texture salon located in Austin, Texas. Since it was founded in 2017, Good Hair Co. has been dedicated to providing holistic hair care by creating a socially conscious and inclusive space. Salon specialties include curly cuts, textured styles, custom colors, and various treatments.
Customers can also expect their stylists to use sustainable vegan products to minimize the negative impacts of hair care on the planet. “All hair textured are welcomed and cherished” at Austin’s Good Hair Company.
7. Kindred Kuts — Amsterdam, Netherlands
Image Source: @kindredkuts
Kindred Kuts is the only queer barbershop in Amsterdam, Netherlands — and it’s Black-owned. The European-based barbershop’s mission “is to disrupt the traditional hetero-male barber industry by creating a space that is gender non-conforming and accepting of trans, enby and non-binary [people], especially Black and POC queer persons.” All textures and lengths are welcome, but Kindred Kuts barbers specialize in short hair.
8. The Grain Midtown — Atlanta, Georgia
Image Source: @thegrainmidtown
When Perry Meeks opened Atlanta’s first openly queer barbershop, it was bound to be a hit. With services fit for celebrities and the everyday person a like, all LGBTQIA+ people will have their hair care needs taken care of while feeling comfortable at The Grain Midtown. According to the salon’s Instagram page, The Grain is a full-service salon that offers standard barbershop services, loc maintenance, natural hair services such as braids, wig installs, and nail services.
9. The Lady Clipper — Washington, D.C
Image Source: @ladyclipper
The Lady Clipper is an all-inclusive black-woman-owned and operated salon in Washington, D.C. All six women barbers working at the D.C.-based shop have separate specialties; however, there is a stylist to meet every need imaginable. The Lady Clipper offers natural hair, creative color, tight fades, and crisp lines—clients are guaranteed to leave the salon confident.
10. The Tall Poppy Hair Studio — Cincinnati, Ohio
Owner Lyly Weekes and co-stylist Jessica Turkawski created The Tall Poppy Hair Studio and Gallery in Cincinnati for queer individuals to relax and heal through hair care. Weekes has over 14 years of experience and specializes in precision cuts and color. Turkawski provides vivid color services for brow and haircut transformations.
11. SheKenKut NYC — Brooklyn, New York
SheKenKut, a Black-owned queer barbershop, started at a mobile salon and grew into a space where queer people can come together over fresh cuts and community events. Queer individuals looking for a quality cut or color work done in Brooklyn will feel at home at the SheKenKut barbershop.
12. United Grooming — Oakland, California
Image Source: @unitedgrooming
Queer individuals in Oakland can visit United Grooming for all their barbershop needs. United Grooming’s Salon Bill of Rights ensures clients will be respected and comfortable while receiving high-quality services. This concrete commitment asserts there is no room for racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or any form of hatefulness at the barbershop. All haircuts are customized to fit each client’s preferred style, face shape, hair texture, and hair density.
Think about what inclusion in hair really means. Supporting hair salons and barbershops that aim to curate inclusive experiences helps combat harmful behavior against LGBTQIA+ individuals seen in the beauty space. Queer people should be able to feel pride in their looks all year long — not just during June.