A conservative hair salon that vows “not to cater to woke ideologies” has pledged to turn away any potential customer who does not identify as either a man or a woman, triggering opposition from local LGBT activists and fueling online debate.
“This small business has the right to refuse services,” reads the post. “This is America; free speech.”
In the post that sparked controversy, the hair salon said that customers who identify as non-binary or any one of the many gender identities that have proliferated in recent times aside from man and woman, may be turned away.
‘Hey You’
More fundamentally, the conservative-run salon said it objects to people requesting to be called by a specific pronoun, a behavior that some people have adopted to signal their support for transgenderism even though they themselves may not identify as transgender.“Should you request to have a particular pronoun used please note we may simply refer to you as ‘hey you,’” the salon said in the post.
Studio 8 Hair Lab added it’s prepared to stand by its refusal to tolerate non-binary pronouns regardless of recent legislation signed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in March, which expanded legal protections to include gender identity and expression.
A local LGBT activist group, Polestar, issued a statement to media outlets denouncing the salon’s position on opposing non-binary pronoun use.
“Studio 8 Hair Lab’s recent comments comparing members of the queer community to animals are not welcomed in Traverse City, Period,” the group stated.
“Hate has shown time and time again to be a losing business strategy and we must not allow this blight to take root in our town,” the group continued.
Polestar added that statements like the one made by the hair salon “undermine the hard work that has been put in to make Traverse City the absolute best that it can be.”
‘This Is a Free Country’
A screengrab of the post was shared on the Overheard in Traverse City page on Facebook, sparking a number of comments, many critical of the salon. Some called for boycotts against the salon, while others suggested legal action.“Since I am not willing to play the pronoun game or cater to requests outside of what I perceive as normal this probably isn’t the best option for that type of client,” Ms. Geiger wrote.
“There are plenty of salons/stylists willing to cater to what I will not,” she continued. “This is a free country and I am not a slave to any narrative.”
Weighing in the discussion was Caleb Miller, who runs the hair salon Xsalonce by Caleb, which he said “is more than willing” to serve anyone who requests to be called by certain pronouns.
“My salon chair is a safe space for all, and while I may not agree with everything you believe we can be adults have different opinions and I would be more than happy to have your business and help you feel happier in your own skin,” Mr. Miller wrote.
Conservative Backlash
In comments on social media, Ms. Geiger said conservatives have had enough of “woke individuals” pushing their ideologies onto others, arguing that a “just let them be” strategy of conservatives keeping their opinions on the matter to themselves hasn’t worked.“The other side used this against us. They mistook our silence for weakness and look where it got us,” Ms. Geiger wrote.
“So many of us bark back,” she continued, saying that when conservatives now make their stand clear, people holding opposing views get triggered and vocal.
“They can’t handle it. They aren’t prepared for this. So I am more than willing to take the first rounds of strike backs in hopes that more of you will see this and be inspired to stand up tall and speak your own truths,” she said.
Ms. Geiger’s remarks about conservatives’ patience wearing thin regarding demands to use preferred pronouns or provide services they find objectionable, such as baking same-sex wedding cakes, comes in the wake of a recent Supreme Court decision that many saw a win for conservative-minded business owners.
Artist and website designer Lorie Smith of 303 Creative complained she was being singled out by the Colorado human rights commission because, based on her religious faith, she does not support nontraditional marriage.
Ms. Smith has said she'd be willing to design custom websites for anyone, including those who identify as LGBT, so long as their message does not conflict with her religious views.
This means that she won’t promote messages that condone violence or encourage sexual immorality, abortion, or same-sex marriage.
When clients want such messages expressed, Ms. Smith refers them to other website designers.
Ms. Smith took action when she discovered she was forbidden under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) to post a statement online explaining what content she was, and was not, willing to create.
Left-wing activists have been targeting bakers for years for political purposes, asking Christian confectioners opposed to same-sex marriage to bake wedding cakes for gay marriage celebrations.
When the bakers refuse to make the cakes, these activists sue under anti-discrimination laws, hoping to secure favorable legal precedents.
