Santiago has cut hair since she was 17, but she almost quit being a hairstylist altogether. ::įor the owners of Salon Benders, cultivating this special space was a “healing journey” for them too. “I didn’t expect to be so emotionally invested,” Meador said about working at Salon Benders.īefore he left, Hendricks made his next appointment. Meador finished off the cut by massaging hair tonic into his scalp and working curling cream through the strands, painstakingly shaping each curl with her fingers. “And that’s why I was like, ‘You know what, I’m freaking getting a haircut,’” Hendricks said. “ they knew better than me what to do with my own hair.”īut when he came out to his family, they were comforting and supportive - and finally understood why he wanted his hair short for so long. “I was so put off about the fact they didn’t listen to me,” Hendricks said. The stylists told him to go home and think about it. When he later tried getting it cut by himself, he was turned away by two salons. When he was younger, Hendricks had wanted to cut his hair short, but his parents disagreed. Where to hang out in Los Angeles when you want to meet queer folks but don’t want to roll up to the usual gay bars and clubs. Lifestyle Looking for queer community in L.A.? Start here
