Transgender Man Denied Service at California Barbershop

A transgender man plans to take legal action after being denied service at a California barbershop, saying the snub violated the state’s anti-discrimination laws.

Kendall Oliver, a U.S. Army sergeant, claims the owner of The Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga in southern California said he doesn’t give haircuts to women due to his religious beliefs, The Guardian reports. “It did hurt my feelings, and I don’t want anyone else to experience that,” said Oliver, 24. “There is a separation of church and state. And if you have a public business, then everyone in the public should be entitled to access those services.”

Richard Hernandez, who owns the barbershop, told the newspaper the customer did not clearly state his or her gender. “We simply don’t cut women’s hair. It’s a traditional men’s barbershop,” Hernandez said.

[The Guardian]