life
Support for Doyenne
Charlotte Barbershop is Recipient of Human Rights Campaign and SHOWTIME’s Queer to Stay By Chris Rudisill | QNotes Contributor
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a few years ago. “This is me. Love me, he buzzing sound of clippers fills or I’m okay with you going,” she says. a small barbershop tucked away She hopes that Doyenne provides that at Salon Plaza off Galleria Blvd. in same level of comfort and safeness Charlotte. Owners Alicia Phillips, who for other LGBTQ people. “I just want goes by Brown, and Sakinah Dunlap people to feel the way I felt when I are all smiles and laughter behind their finally said this is me. We just become a masks. These two women know how to big family.” make you feel at home. Places like Doyenne mean that we Brown and Dunlap met in barhave a voice, according to Brown. “You ber school a few years ago and have can’t take what I build from me,” she worked together ever since. Brown had says. “Being here, that’s what we’re a plan for opening an all-girl shop, and here to do. We’re here to make you the two knew they wanted to focus on laugh, have a good time, make you feel building an LGBTQ-friendly space tolike family.” The two even take trips gether. “When I started barbering, I saw to a cabin in the mountains of North it was all dominated by men,” she says. Carolina with some of their clients. “I They noticed how LGBTQ people don’t want it to be just another barberfelt the need to be guarded at mainSakinah Dunlap. (Photo Credit: Chris Rudisill) Alicia Phillips. (Photo Credit: Chris Rudisill) shop,” says Dunlap. “We welcome you stream places. Clients that they saw to be our family.” at their previous shop are completely A client told them about a grant opportunity. The Since both the enactment of HB2 in different in Doyenne, the space they “Queer to Stay: An LGBTQ+ Business Preservation North Carolina and the election of President Trump in 2016, opened on Feb. 15. The name means “a woman who is the Initiative” launched on July 30 and eligible businesses had LGBTQ people in Charlotte have faced a heightened fear of most respected or prominent person in a particular field.” to apply by Aug. 14. Dunlap says it was only a matter of hate and discrimination. The Charlotte Observer reported in Empowering other women of color and LGBTQ people weeks before they received the good news. Doyenne was 2016, that “public records and interviews across the state has always been a goal for Brown. “Seeing another woman one of 10 businesses that received funding through the suggest that targeting of LGBTQ residents is so commonsucceed and do well, that’s everything to me, especially if initiative aimed at supporting and preserving businesses place that many take it for granted as a sad — and someyou are part of the LGBTQ+,” she says. “I just want everythat serve the LGBTQ community with a focus on LGBTQ times dangerous — fact of their lives.” A partial repeal of one to know you can do the same thing. Men don’t have to people of color, women and the transgender community. HB2 was passed by the N.C. legislature in 2017. dominate everything.” According to a recent press release, “We must “It’s big to have a safe haven,” adds Dunlap. “It’s hard Opening a month before COVID-19 was a challenge preserve affirming, welcoming community spaces for being LGBTQ+ and being a person of color. It’s just so and brought many businesses like theirs to a halt. The first LGBTQ+ people — including young people who may not hard.” She says the conversation gives her chills thinking presumptive positive result for the novel coronavirus in have supportive families or communities at home,” said about the impact that hate has on people. “I just want to North Carolina was on March 3. “Stay-at-home” orders and HRC President Alphonso David. Doyenne is an LGBTQlive my life and be happy the same way you do,” she adds. temporary closures soon followed. Barbershops were not and Black-owned barbershop “that serves as a home for Brown grew up in in a church family in Norfolk, Va. and able to reopen until May 22, when Gov. Roy Cooper moved LGBTQ+ people to feel welcome, comfortable and safe,” remembers how hard it was being LGBTQ. “I didn’t really the state into Phase Two of his plan to loosen coronavirus stated the press release. open up until I moved here,” she says. “Coming here, I saw restrictions. The “safer at home” recommendation allowed The fund, which is not a loan, is a partnership between a lot of us making it and building something.” restaurants, salons and swimming pools to reopen at 50 HRC and SHOWTIME. HRC would not disclose the financial “It means the world to us knowing that two Africanpercent capacity. amount provided to each business but did confirm via American women who are strong, well-educated, openly a LGBTQ-serving businesses like Doyenne which provide email that each business received an equal amount, and part of the LGBTQ+ community opened a business, started safe and affirming places, sometimes the only ones the funds were disbursed on Sept. 23. a brand and made it through a pandemic,” they say in the an LGBTQ person can find in a city, have faced signifiOther awardees of “Queer to Stay” include: Alibi HRC press release. cant challenges this year. Data from the Human Rights Lounge in New York; Amplio Fitness in Rocky River, Ohio; Business has been picking up slowly since Doyenne Campaign (HRC) and PSB Research found that 30 percent Salon Benders in Long Beach, Calif.; Blush & Blu in Denver, was able to reopen and the grant was a needed boost. of LGBTQ have had their work hours reduced, compared Colo.; El Rio in San Francisco, Calif.; Freed Bodyworks in Now, they are planning for a bright future. They hope to to 22 percent of the general population and that 59 perWashington, D.C.; Herz in Mobile, Ala.; My Sister’s Room in make the Doyenne brand bigger through merchandising cent have spent less as a result of COVID-19. Atlanta, Ga.; and Pearl Bar in Houston, Texas. and involvement in the community after the pandemic. People of color have also faced additional chal“This is my purpose,” says Dunlap. “It’s like, growing lenges. According to a study by the National Community up, maybe if I had that space how would I have turned out Reinvestment Coalition, Black applicants who applied for years ago. Would it have took me so long, or would I have Paycheck Protection Program loans were treated poorly tried to hide it for so long? We welcome everyone. I don’t or unfairly compared to their white counterparts. Dunlap Dunlap grew up in West Charlotte and remembers the care if you’re purple — I don’t care if you’ve got a green says they did apply for the loan program but did not have community being close knit, despite being a place where it dog, we’re just going to love you.” : : the business history to qualify. did not always feel safe to be a lesbian. She only came out
We Welcome Everyone
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Oct. 16-29, 2020
