While it’s important to champion, support, and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community all year-round, Pride Month is the perfect opportunity to really step up and help advocate for change, especially in the professional beauty industry. If you’ve been looking for how you can make a positive impact with your salon this month, consider joining HAIR HAS NO GENDER NFP (HHNG) in their movement to create lasting, affirming change in the beauty industry.
For those unaware, HAIR HAS NO GENDER NFP is a nonprofit organization that was founded by Sam Villa ambassador and Logan Parlor Salon owner, Jamie DiGrazia. The organization is committed to eliminating gendered service pricing, promoting inclusive practices, and ensuring that every salon is a place of belonging for LGBTQIA+ clients and professionals. “This Pride Month, we’re calling on the beauty community to turn their spaces into powerful platforms for advocacy, education, and equality,” says DiGrazia.
DiGrazia was kind enough to share five different ways that salons can make an impact during Pride Month. Read on to learn more.
Be Visible
- Join the HHNG Affirming Service Finder to show LGBTQIA+ clients your space is safe and welcoming.
- Display the HHNG Allied Space Badge in your salon and share your story on social media.
Educate and Advocate
- Learn as much as you can: DiGrazia is one of the many industry experts, business professionals, and stylists educating on the L’Oreal Access Safe Space Learning Series to spread knowledge and tools on how to create an inclusive salon experience.
- Talk to guests and coworkers about the harm of gender-based pricing. “We wouldn’t pay our employees based on gender — why charge clients that way?” says DiGrazia.
- Celebrate inclusive practices–like all-gender restrooms and pronoun pins.
- Ask for pronouns when booking and normalize inclusive language every day.
Show Up for the Community
- Speak out against anti-LGBTQ+ language.
- Add a rainbow sticker, HHNG barber pole cling, or HRC equal sign to your mirror or door.
- Join HHNG in the Chicago Pride Parade or attend events in your area.
Be an Ally, Always
- Read LGBTQ+ media like LGBTQ Nation
- Share support on social media.
- Contact beauty associations and demand accountability for illegal gender-based pricing.
Volunteer: Style with Purpose with Sam Villa Tools
- Use your skills to support LGBTQ+ youth. HHNG recently supported youth at the Center on Halsted’s Queer Prom, helping with affirming hair and grooming services. Stylist Claudia Halina says, “Hair Has No Gender and Queer Prom are so powerful in giving the youth places to find themselves unapologetically through hair, makeup, and clothes.”
- Offer free or sliding scale affirming haircuts.
- Lead styling lessons for trans and nonbinary youth.
- Host workshops in collaboration on self-expression through hair.
- Sign up for the HHNG newsletter to get connected with volunteer opportunities and start giving back.
To join the movement and stand with the LGBTQIA+ community to reshape how beauty services are offered, visit hairhasnogender.org to donate, start a fundraiser, and access free resources to help make salons more affirming spaces. All funds raised support inclusive education and salon training, public awareness campaigns and advocacy for fair pricing and LGBTQIA+ rights in beauty.
