Promoting Inclusivity in the Shop One Haircut at a Time

As an effort to start promoting inclusivity in the workplace, business owners across the country are discussing ways to provide equal access to opportunities and resources for people who have been traditionally excluded or marginalized throughout American history.

At first glance, inclusivity may not seem like an issue that’s relevant to the beauty community. But that’s hardly the case. In fact, service providers are making headlines for changing industry norms to make absolutely sure that more people feel included inside barbershops and salons.

One of those industry experts who is working hard to promote inclusivity is Sarah Lawler. This trailblazing cosmetology and barber educator cuts and styles hair for anyone and everyone—regardless of their skin color, gender, or sexual orientation. 

Sarah identifies with the LGBTQIA+ community on a personal level. And very recently, Sarah summoned the courage to ask fellow staffers and industry newcomers to use non-binary pronouns to help a wide variety of people feel more comfortable by promoting inclusivity. 

Take a moment to learn about the journey that Sarah is taking. Read about the steps Sarah is taking to promote inclusivity and affect change. Know that we carefully selected Sarah for our Pride Month campaign to help our readers better understand how they can start promoting inclusivity, which means fighting for fairness and equality.

Promoting Inclusivity at an Early Age

At 22 years young, Sarah has a reputation for wearing grungy, edgy outfits like an off-beat teacher who inspires students to go the extra mile to embrace true artistry. Despite the youthful vibes that Sarah gives off, this stylist has without a doubt matured well beyond their years.

Sarah chose the beauty industry about five years ago to make sure that self-expression could be an everyday routine. And Sarah fully embraces the freedom that the industry offers in terms of style. But more importantly, Sarah has the freedom to promote inclusivity. 

The shop that Sarah works at is called HeadSpace Barbershop. And promoting inclusivity while challenging industry norms has become the shared goal of everyone who works there. The space opened in 2020, when health officials agreed that barbers could start styling hair again. 

Around that time, after spending months in quarantine, Sarah decided to start using they/them pronouns. And thankfully for Sarah, support came from all sides. 

The owner of HeadSpace fully embraced the decision. And so did the staffers inside the shop, as well as the instructors at Paul Mitchell The School in Lombard, Illinois, where Sarah uses dual licenses in barbering and cosmetology to teach about a 100 different industry newcomers.

“I'm very grateful for how supportive my directors, the shop owner, and my fellow staffers have been. I was actually fortunate enough to have them send out an all staff email just to say, 'we want to be supportive of Sarah and who they are—they go by they/them pronouns now.' And right off the bat, I had a lot of my co-workers come up to me and say that I want to do more for you, because I never want to make you feel uncomfortable,” Sarah said.

Becoming Inspired to Promote Inclusivity 

Mass emails requesting that everyone use they/them pronouns when referring to Sarah lifted a huge weight. And being exposed to two professional environments that believed in promoting inclusivity meant a great deal to Sarah, even though friends and family members are fully supportive. 

“I can't leave my gender identity at home. It's not a suitcase I can just leave at the door. It's something I have to bring into work with me,” Sarah said, adding that the experience taught them to keep promoting inclusivity in other ways, so that other individuals would also feel safe. 

As an avid supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community, Sarah felt inspired to continue promoting inclusivity within the classroom and the barbershop. Sarah wanted to make sure that students, fellow industry professionals, and clients could all feel more comfortable inside shops and salons. 

Recently, Sarah gave a presentation on inclusivity in front of a classroom. Sarah wanted to spread awareness and continue taking the initiative to help promote inclusivity. Specifically, Sarah wants to spread knowledge and make sure certain words are being used in the classroom.

“I feel like these kinds of steps open up the gate for people who—whether they're out proud or they're questioning anything—they know, when I'm here, I have an ally. And that speaks volumes for so many people without even speaking on it,” Sarah said. 

Within the barbershop, Sarah helped update the service menu. Instead of haircuts for men or women, clients can book mid to longer length styling or short haircuts. Sarah believes that's a great way to start promoting inclusivity. Sarah also uses business cards in a unique way by listing they/them pronouns. And Sarah wears a nametag at school that displays they/them pronouns.

The Importance of Promoting Inclusivity 

Sarah is far from alone in regards to taking a stance on promoting inclusivity in shops and salons. According to the Dresscode Project, an international alliance of gender-inclusive salons, 93% of LGBTQIA+ clients have been misgendered while getting their hair cut. And 65% of LGBTQIA+ clients feel their hair is an important part of how they choose to express themselves.

In addition to the staggering numbers of LGBTQIA+ clients who have experienced difficulties within the salon, there’s also the fact that a bad haircut can trigger gender dysphoria, which is a feeling of distress when your looks don’t match with the gender you feel inside.

“A lot of people within the community feel anxious about getting a haircut. They feel scared and they feel nervous for their upcoming appointment. And it's our job to make people feel good about themselves. So, the fact that those statistics even exist is just really hard,” Sarah said. 

Despite these and other facts, Sarah still believes that the beauty and wellness industry is in a great position to meet the needs of any and every type of client. More specifically, during the early phases of the Black Lives Matter Movement, Sarah remembers how barbers and stylists showed more of a desire than ever to learn about African American hair textures. 

“So, I know we have the power to change. And I've watched that happen. It might happen slow for some people and fast for others. But I've watched the wheel go in motion no matter how fast or slow it happens,” Sarah said. 

Moving Forward to Promote Inclusivity 

According to Sarah, industry professionals have recently shown a great deal of understanding towards marginalized groups of people. Sarah hopes that beauty and wellness experts will show that level of understanding towards members of the LGBTQIA+ community. And that's because Sarah believes the beauty industry "has the power to do amazing things."

“I had a student the other day come up to me, thanking me. Because until she came to this school that I teach at, she has never seen anybody who looks like herself until she met me. And that’s another reason why I became a stylist and became a teacher is because I'm here to make people happy. I'm here to make people feel like their true selves,” Sarah said.

For anyone who wants to take more steps towards promoting inclusivity, Sarah recommends continuing education classes. Every time that Sarah conducts a course or gives a presentation on inclusivity, the goal is to inspire others to make change for the better. 

“I have been able and fortunate enough to give presentations about the LGBTQIA+ community. But that spokes volumes. Whereas obviously some places wouldn’t allow a training course like that. But continuing education doesn’t just mean hair. Sometimes, continuing education is about how you can be the best human being and how you can be more inclusive,” Sarah said.