Transgender man who visited hairdressers for first time is turned away from barbers ‘because he was female’
He was devastated after he was told he could not have his hair cut in a male barber shop
A TRANSGENDER man was turned away from his local barbers because he was "female", but plucked up the courage to bounce back from the devastation and get his first snip as a man at a hairdressers.
Jo-James Booth, born as Joanne, said he was told to leave the first time he tried to get a haircut after his transition.
He left devastated and unable to get over the humiliation for months, until eventually he found the courage to step into a hairdressers again after reading the story of another transgender who was refused a trim in New Zealand.
The 26-year-old, who previously had shoulder-length brown hair, wanted to get the chop after waiting for years, but the momentous day was ruined as he was turned away the first time he attempted to get a cut.
He said: "It was a very big day for me. I had shoulder-length hair and I'd finally made the decision to have the chop.
"I walked into a traditional barber's and asked for a number two but they told me they couldn't cut my hair because I was female and this was a male barber's shop.
"I was shocked an humiliated, it wasn't what I expected and I said something about it being discriminatory but then I left because I was so embarrassed."
The whole ordeal left him questioning if he should transition at all.
Jo, who lived in Canterbury, Kent at the time, was studying forensic science and taking exams at Canterbury Christ Church University.
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He said: "It was a real setback. It knocked my confidence and I even began to doubt whether I should transition at all. It took me months to buck up the courage to try another hairdresser,
"I wasn't sure of myself back then, so I didn't make a complaint.
"Since then I've heard of others who've been refused so I wanted to share my story now to show that this is not acceptable."
Growing up in Yorkshire he thought he might be gay because he was attracted to women, but realised he was transgender after watching a documentary in 2011, and plans to start hormone replacement therapy in July.
He said: "I didn't really know what it meant to be transgender but this TV show opened up a whole new world for me.
"I didn't know who to speak to about it but I found a youth support group in Sowerby Bridge and I met up with them."
"They said they were thrilled as I was their first 'T' person and put me in touch with a gender clinic. I wanted to do it slowly as I didn't want to give my gran a heart attack.
"I've always been a tomboy so the main change was getting my locks cut off.
"Thankfully all my family were very supportive - even if the barbers weren't. "
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