The Auckland barber shop involved in an incident of alleged discrimination in which a trans person was refused service and told it was because they are “not actually a man” is avoiding discussing the matter with a glbti community journalist. When Gaynz.com Daily News called The Corner Barber Shop to speak to the barber on Tuesday our reporter was advised that the barber would be working on Thursday and this was when we needed to speak to her. When making contact with the barber shop today and asking to speak to the barber who worked on Sunday we were immediately told by the same woman who answered the phone on Tuesday that she wasn't going to talk about the issue. When our reporter identified themselves the woman told us "you know very well" this has become a big issue before telling us she had "nothing to say". In an attempt to finish the conversation she told our reporter that the matter had been passed on to a lawyer. Lorren Grabarek went to the The Corner Barber Shop in Birkenhead on Sunday to have their hair cut and says they left “shocked” and “upset” when the hairdresser refused to serve them. They are now seeking an apology from the shop and are hoping the shop recognises their discriminatory actions are illegal.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 7th April 2016 - 11:16am