TH E I N SPI R AT ION HOW TO...
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CHECK PRONOUNS
Adding pronouns to your booking system (she/her, he/ him, they/them) will help clients to feel welcome and respected. You can also introduce pronouns for staff as part of email signatures, or in team member biographies online. ‘You can avoid discriminating against gender by using pronouns and learning what they mean and why they are important,’ says Keri. If your client forms ask for title information, add a gender-neutral option by including Mx (pronounced ‘mix’) along with Mr, Mrs and Ms.
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BE MORE GENDER INCLUSIVE 3 It’s important to make everyone within your business feel comfortable and welcome, regardless of how they identify. Beauty expert Sam Marshall and short hair specialist Keri Blue offer their insight.
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REPRESENT VISUALLY
Keri advises reflecting on the imagery you use. ‘It’s important to have an honest representation of everyone who comes in and out of your business, especially in terms of hair. A lot of the time we use the same stock images, and we subsequently attract the same clients.’
TRAIN UP
Increasing your awareness of gender non-conformity and the terminology used is a good starting point. Sam Marshall (she/her) is founder of The Beauty Guru and teaches gender inclusivity training as part of Be Trans Aware, together with Keri Blue (they/them), founder of Hair Has No Gender. ‘Having trans and non-binary awareness training can help to increase your understanding,’ says Sam. ‘You’ll also benefit from spotting what you might be doing that’s wrong or could be changed.’
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