“Religious freedom” seems to be all the rage among homophobic business owners these days, and now a California barbershop is getting into the act.
Army reservist Kendall Oliver, who is transgender, went online to book an appointment at The Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga, but was turned away after showing up.
Oliver told NBC4 News he identifies as male and feels more comfortable that way (although he told CBS2 he eschews labels), but they said, “It doesn’t matter ma’am, we still won’t cut a woman’s hair.”
Richard Hernandez, owner of The Barbershop, sees it differently:
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“It’s a shame for a man to have long hair, but if a woman has long hair, it’s her glory and it speaks to being given to her as her covering, and I don’t want to be one who is taking away from her glory.”
Even so, he still doesn’t think he’s being discriminatory:
“It’s not our intention to discriminate against anyone based on sexual orientation or gender of anything like that. The Bible teaches us that a woman’s hair is her glory.”
Of course, Oliver is not having it:
“I don’t see how that should affect a business. I’m a customer here, you provide a service, and everyone is entitled to that service.”
Watch the story via CBS 2 below.
1EqualityUSA
fear works in mysterious ways.
Tony Chaplinski
hate and bigotry seems to be the new “religion” so very wrong. Jesus would be ashamed
Stache
Me thinks the Dumbass owner should actually read the damn book before using it to discriminate against others.
Leviticus 19:27
“‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
Gus Anderson
What the hell ! ! ! !
1EqualityUSA
Somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of my mind, the deal was that, possibly in the City of Corinth, it was all the rage to emulate Caesar’s haircut at that time, in a sort of idolatrous way. That’s why this clump of molecules, hair, (dumb-ass stupid-physical matter, hair, the deadest thing on our pitiful bodies, hair) was mentioned. Hair is dead, the spirit is alive. Christ is more interested in spirit rather than mere vessels. Mature Christians would see this person as an entire universe. Immature Christians operate with fear, judging those they have no authority to judge, and focusing too heavily on silly, bullshit things such as hair. Who knows what beautiful spiritual fruit could have come from this acquaintance? He closed the door on her. Christ closed the door on no person.
Brian
This barber is a buffoon.
1EqualityUSA
Brian, I agree with you. Hussain-TheCanadian…jesus Christ!!! pass the tequila, mate.
Robert Klingerman
I want to post an intelligent comment, but instead I’ll pray for this “trumped “up bigot!
Juanjo
I love ignorant faux Christians. He is quoting from 1 Corinthians 11 and like many ignorant bassoons does not know what the words mean. The passage talks about how shameful it is for women to pray or go around with their head uncovered and their cut short. Now as one must always do, one must view this passage in the context of the time when it was written. During the time Paul write this respectable women always went out in specific clothing items indicating their status, including a head covering and long hair. The only women who went around with short hair and bare headed were prostitutes.
Eddie Nieves
Whooooo gives a f@%k!??? Go elsewhere. Why would U want to leave him/her your hard earned $$$ anyways?!
GC1985
@Eddie Nieves: Awesome logic. I guess blacks should have done the same with segregated restaurants and shops… Let’s just go elsewhere.
Not.
If you don’t confront these bigots they will continue and the cancer will spread.
Stache
@Eddie Nieves: I don’t think they plan too. This goes beyond a baker not wanting to participate in a marriage. This is just open hate. I don’t buy there BS religious excuse either since the bible makes the same command on him and his employees. They’re breaking the same rules.
Eric Ernsberger
Christians should be ashamed to be so opposite of their Jesus.
Dennis Richards
Then how the hell could he bring himself to cutting any woman’s hair? Is that not removing a little bit of their glory?
Frankie Trice
Now we know all that support the troops is bullcrap with our Xtian population…
Linda Dublin
Billysees
@Robert Klingerman:
” I want to post an intelligent comment… ”
That’s not easy to do when reading this kind of thing.
@Eddie Nieves:
” Why would U want to leave him/her your hard earned $$$ anyways?! ”
Of course.
Daniel-Reader
The bible (Leviticus) says “Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever.” The bible is the stuff of evil slavemasters. It is evil.
darkanser
I always found that proclamation — that women should not cut their hair — peculiar. For one thing, not ALL women have long hair. I suppose it’s not dissimilar to the notion that men should never cut their beards ( I believe that many Hasidic men practice that? Many Hasidic men also won’t sit next to a woman on an airplane). I suspect that that thinking is one factor behind many Muslim women wearing the hijab and many Hasidic women not showing their natural hair and instead wearing wigs — that their natural hair while glorious is too alluring for strange men or men other than their husbands.
It was rather surreal watching this relatively young barbershop owner state these views. I was asking myself “Is this for real??” So he cuts only men’s hair at that shop? Is that made clear on his sign or advertising? If he were to say “We only cut men’s hair at this shop!” and if she were asking for a more “feminine” hair style, would that have made his position more palatable? In some small towns, it’s not uncommon to find a barber who’s uncomfortable with the task of cutting a black man’s hair. In that event, it would have been more a question of their lack of skills as supposed to their refusing someone what they’re fully qualified to provide. Do they trim beards and moustaches? The owner certainly doesn’t seem to trim his beard. I wonder if he has a position in general about women in the armed forces where it’s encouraged if not required — and for good reason – that ALL members (including female members) have shorter hair.
I suppose this refusal was the last thing this Kendall Oliver was expecting. And I’m sure she found another barbershop within walking distance to fulfill her wishes. But the refusal does raise an important point.
1EqualityUSA
My apology is to army reservist, Kendall Oliver, for using the incorrect pronoun. Thank you for your service and commitment to a country unwilling to see you as equal.
Richard Holaday
So find another barber, that’s the great thing about free enterprise… the barber has the right to refuse service and the customer has the right to take his or her business elsewhere.
TrekBear
Barber, if your business, not you, has religious beliefs, please tell me when it was baptized, how often it goes to church, and how much it puts in the offering plate each month.
nycbklyn
Whoa the discrimination! Horrible! He couldnt get his haircut! It must be the only place in town that someone can get their haircut! Its a mens only barber, he doesnt cut womens hair! There are many womens only salon that dont do mens hair! I don’t see the outrage! Is he legally a man?!
Stache
@nycbklyn: You’re an idiot and a duchebag. No one’s being sued. All he did was expose them for the discriminating bigots that they are.
Chris
That barber is a rip-roaring, prize-winning, first-class fuckin douche bag. Thank you….that is all.
Juanjo
@Eddie Nieves: So where in the news story does it say this barber is kind enough to post a sign saying that he will not violate his so-called Christian principles by cutting a woman’s hair in a particular cut? And when he does those who are affected by his nonsense should not comment on it? Not to mention those who think he is a complete schmuck for doing this should not be able to speak out on it? You see Eddie, the fun part of Free Speech and Free Exercise of Religion is that when you do so in a manner others consider kind of inappropriate, they can and will comment on it.
Stache
@Juanjo: Yeah, at least in the Jim Crowe days they stood by their discrimination with the “white only” signs. This guy is doing the same thing except he wants to do it privately.
robho3
What does God have to do with getting a damn haircut? While this business owner obviously had a few screws loose, when I here these stories I always think to myself… Why would you want to to give your money to a douche bag homophobe like this anyway? I would be happy to find out that someone I want to do business with is a homophobe so I can take my gay dollar elsewhere.
Sansacro
@1EqualityUSA: @Eddie Nieves: There’s this thing called the law. Hey, if one restaurant won’t serve you, or bathroom is closed to you, or the back of the bus is full, there’s always another. . . :-/
We live in a democracy. Keep your f*&ked up religion out of my life and apart from rights.
paul dorian lord fredine
in the book of leviticus it states that men should not cut their hair or beards so, as a good christian, why is this guy even a barber? once again, claiming to follow the good book but only those parts that fit into his bigotries. hope someone points out the incongruities when they see him eating shellfish in his mixed fabric shirt.
Sansacro
@1EqualityUSA: Ah, yes, that Christ dude. How’s the personal relationship going? Cuz that fantasy figure ain’t doing sh*t for this planet. Love how “believers” use their imaginary friend as a way to remain passive in the face of true injustice. (God will take care of it.) Meanwhile, religion continues to be used as means of bigotry, violence, and power.
Hey, believe what you want, but stop presenting your personal fantasies of your direct line to god (and who and what it/she/he is/says/ wants) as facts for all.
Mack
@GC1985: I grew up in the South during the 50’s and 60’s where there were signs stating “white only” or “colored only” and it’s not a nice feeling. It’s bigotry at it finest.
I do believe that if they’re going to push their “religious freedom” on to everyone they should post it on their doors, windows and any advertising they have. People should know in advance what type of business it really is. I don’t want to spend my “gay dollars” in a business that doesn’t appreciate me.
1EqualityUSA
Sansacro, my response was to the barber, should he read our comments, not to you or “all” but to the barber, so that historically he could see why hair styles were even mentioned, and to refute his illogical reasonings. This article is about this subject. Chill.
scotty
jsut cut his fucking hair you fucking dick. otherwise open to the public means youre fucking closed forever transphobic jerk
Doug
Once again, it’s all wordplay: “It’s not my intention to discriminate,” etc., but that’s exactly what I’ll do.
Minyassa
I certainly understand being pissed off at being turned away from a business by some ignorant fool, disrespected and insulted. But remember, anytime someone exposes that they are this sort of person, they are *saving* you from ever having to deal with them again. Tiny silver lining maybe? But what a jerk.
Stached1
@Richard Holaday: Exactly. What’s the big deal.
greenmusic23f
@Richard Holaday: Tell that to black people when they are refused service, too?
SteveDenver
This religious idiot wants to cite standards for haircuts? Then he better stop shaving off men’s beards, that’s in the Bible, too!
Nahald
@Tony Chaplinski: Blame that on Donald Trump. He’s started it all over again with his bigoted rthetoric, not only against gays, but immigrants as well.
GC1985
@Mack: I can’t imagine what it was like during that time. And seeing three of the greatest leaders go down to savage violence. MLK, JFK and RFK all stood for positive change and their spirit lives on. Now Trump is assaulting their legacies. This is an enormous threat to this country.
I would ask these bigots how about Buddhist dollars or atheist dollars? Would you cut a hair of an atheist or maybe a Wiccan? It is just a hair cut. Last I checked the bible said men shouldn’t cut their hair at all lol.
DCguy
If he offers haircuts to men that include the sides of their heads then he is lying about being religious and is just a typical bigot.
And even if he is religious, so what? It’s a public business, if he won’t serve the public then he shouldn’t have a public business license.
NoTransLogic
Here’s the thing: If it’s against his religious beliefs to cut a woman’s hair, he has a 1at Amendment right to refuse the haircut.
If she’s suing stating that this barbershop refuses to cut women’s hair, she’s going to loose.
If she’s suing because this barbershop failed to acknowledge her gender ide tiny, she’s going to loose: gender identity is NOT a protected category.
Sexual orientation IS a protected category, but it defies Trans Logic for a trans person to say “I’m gay” because they so adamantly claim to be a member of the opposite sex.
However, sex based discrimination is illegal, but not when you throw in a religious objection, if the objection is valid and based on an established religion.
batesmotel
Interesting considering that this is in L.A. Los Angeles is not as liberal, or I should say open minded as people believe. More than half of Los Angeles voted against Same Sex Marriage. This Hernandez character not only doesn’t care about gays or transgenders, but also doesn’t care about veterans who keep him safe. Although with a name like Hernandez, it doesn’t sound that American.