weheartit

(Source: hollyhocksandtulips)

‘Kiss’ By Pizelle Komix (Flikr)

“Finding a good barber is always a trial and error process that many have to go through. It seems to always take a couple nicks, cuts and pushed back hairlines to find that one person who has that true talent when it comes to cutting hair. But, as a butch female the process seems to be ten times more difficult than it should be.

I was 18 when I decided I wanted to get rid of my baby hairs and get a line-up, so I asked all my male friends where they went to get their cuts done. They all suggested different places and gave me their own personal ratings on the barbers there. I narrowed down my search to this one barbershop near my house - I still remember how the mood switched as soon as I walked into the small barbershop full of Jamaican men - The stares and facial expressions they made showed that they were trying to decipher something about me, but they just couldn't put their finger on it.

I sat down in the chair and told him (the barber) what I wanted done. He made the mood lighter by making small talk with me until halfway through his curiosity got the best of him and he asked the infamous question every butch receives throughout their lifetime: "Hold up… Are you a girl or a boy?" I responded, "I'm a female… Had you fooled didn't " My little joking comment made things easier between us and he became my main guy I went to for my cuts; he treated me with respect and always gave me my money's worth until things started to change. Whenever he was gone (which was a good amount of the time) another barber would take his place with the same level of skill but would do a half-assed job on my line-ups. On one occasion he had me wait ten minutes in an empty shop while he finished a game of dominoes with his buddies. That was the final straw for me. I vowed to myself that I would never return, so I went on another search to find other barbers around the area and received the same treatment.

It’s an the endless series of questions, like “Why do you want to cut your hair this way” or bullshit statements like, “Well, you know barbers aren't supposed to cut women’s hair so low…” that reveal an obvious lack of customer service and professionalism. These individuals were obviously stuck on the notion that females should never cut their hair, and if they did it should be styled in a “feminine” way. Even though I love the feeling and experience of getting a fresh cut, I got sick of explaining myself and my hairstyle to people to the point that I went to a beauty supply store bought my own clippers and started watching tapering tutorials on YouTube. With practice, I was able to cut my hair the way I wanted without the 21 questions at the beginning and end.”

http://www.thestudmagazine.com/interpretation

fuckyeahdykes:

myhertsgard

(Source: shutuppp)

(Source: b-e-l-i-e-f-s)