Patricia Hill has a Pride flag proudly displayed on the front of her hair salon in Kennesaw year-round — even though by doing so, she said, her business is bucking city rules.
In the downtown historic district, business owners aren’t allowed to fly anything other than the American and Georgia state flags, she said. But that also doesn’t stop the controversial Wildman’s Civil War and Surplus from displaying Confederate flags less than a minute’s drive from Hill’s studio.
“If the city is going to let Wildman’s down the street fly offensive flags, then I’m going to fly what is close to my heart,” Hill said.
For the past few years, the longtime stylist has worked to transform her coloring studio into a thriving safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals who, advocates say, often struggle to find welcoming hair care.
In the process, she did away with gendered services and added pronouns to stylist stations. She also stocked a library with LGBTQ+-related books banned by Cobb County schools.
“There’s such a big section of our community that feels forced to hide and spend their lives in a very difficult place,” she said. “It’s an honor to be able to create a very comfortable environment for them.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Hill’s namesake studio sits in a 135-year-old house on Cherokee Street, in the heart of Kennesaw just about 27 miles north from Atlanta — which is often hailed as the LGBTQ+ capital of the south.
But in recent years, the Republican-controlled legislature has passed bills that restrict care for transgender youth and prevent transgender athletes from playing in girls sports. Lawmakers are planning to go even further this upcoming session.
Chanel Haley, deputy director of the advocacy group Georgia Equality, said transgender youth are being targeted in Georgia and across the country.
“There’s a special need to have a place where they can be themselves and where they’re accepted,” she said.
Hill’s studio is part of a global network of beauty businesses that cater to transgender clients. The Kennesaw salon is registered with Strands For Trans, an organization that helps transgender individuals find safe spaces within their communities.
Usually transgender clients are hesitant to come in, Hill said, let alone disclose personal information such as if they are undergoing gender-affirming care.
“Watching people get their hair done and feel more like the way that they feel on the inside is really the greatest gift of all,” Hill said. “Just seeing people live their authentic life and be happy is wonderful.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
The hair studio partners with ARC Southeast, a prominent reproductive rights nonprofit, to provide pregnancy tests, birth control and emergency contraception like Plan B for whomever needs it, “no questions asked,” she said.
“If you need something, we’re here for you,” Hill said. “We’re not here to judge you.”
The salon owner’s advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community in Kennesaw wasn’t without pushback. Hill lost a wave of older clients when she took steps to become a safe space. But slowly she regained customers who praise her efforts.
“She not only does great work,” Barbara Coffman said as she sat in Hill’s styling chair. “But she stands up for great causes too.”
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