Shrewsbury salon encourages businesses to adopt trans friendly practices
A hair and beauty salon in Shrewsbury has recently taken part in trans awareness and inclusivity training to make sure the services they offer are as inclusive as possible to the LGBTQ+ community.
Sarah Morris, who runs Meraki Hair & Beauty based in The Parade Shops, hopes other businesses in the town will follow their lead in learning how to be a trans ally.
The training was run by Sam Marshall, also known as The Beauty Guru, who is a well-known voice in the beauty industry, and Keri Blue, founder of Hair Has No Gender – who are on a mission to educate those in the hair and beauty industry to create safer spaces, where people can receive hair and beauty treatments that help them look the way they feel.
Sarah Morris said, “We have always considered ourselves to be an inclusive salon where everyone is welcome. Looking after our clients has always been our top priority and we want to make sure that everyone feels safe, respected and most importantly, free to be themselves without judgement.
“Sam and Keri’s training highlighted that sometimes assuming that everyone knows you are inclusive isn't enough, which is why we have decided to take steps to make sure we are doing what we can to let everyone know.
“We believe that hair is an important tool in everyone’s self-expression, regardless of gender. In our team’s eyes everyone is equal, and we bring that philosophy to life in a practical and transparent way through our gender-neutral pricing.
“We’ve also added an inclusivity statement alongside our treatment list and on our website. We’ve added subtle stickers to our window to indicate we are LGBTQ+ friendly too. We pride ourselves in being a safe, non-judgemental space - no matter your story or background - you will always have at place at Meraki Hair & Beauty.”
Fellow businesses based at The Parade Shops are keen to become trans allies as well, including Megalash, Minola Moss Lash Boutique and The Beautique Parlour.
Sarah adds, “If you’re a salon owner and would like to know more about what you can do to be a more inclusive salon or if you’re interested in taking part in some trans awareness and inclusivity training, contact Keri at hairhasnogender@icloud.com.”
