An anti-woke Michigan hairdresser has caused an uproar in the LGBTQ+ community by banning those who insist on specifying their pronouns, telling them they are “not welcome” at her hair salon and should instead visit a “local pet groomer.”
“If a human identifies as anything other than a man/woman please seek services at a local pet groomer. You are not welcome at this salon. Period,” Studio 8 Hair Lab owner Christine Geiger bluntly wrote on what appears to be a now-deleted Facebook account.
The salon’s Instagram account has been set to private with a notice asserting that they do “not cater to woke ideologies,” according to the Daily Mail.
The small business owner claimed that she was exercising her right to “free speech” as well as her right to “refuse services” to individuals. An avalanche of hate followed on social media with people blaming a ruling by the Supreme Court in favor of a Christian web designer who refused to create a site for a gay couple.
Disgusting.
A hair salon in Michigan announced it will discriminate against trans/queer people seeking haircuts.
Studio 8 Hair Lab, by Christine Geiger, announced that she would refuse service to trans and queer people, and any haircut not deemed “normal” for their gender. pic.twitter.com/lEzsFRS8vS
— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) July 11, 2023
“The First Amendment’s protections belong to all, not just to speakers whose motives the government finds worthy,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority. “In this case, Colorado seeks to force an individual to speak in ways that align with its views but defy her conscience about a matter of major significance.”
In the post, Geiger reportedly proclaimed that she didn’t care if she was in violation of a law passed by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in March.
“Should you request to have a particular pronoun used please note we may simply refer to you as ‘hey you.’ Regardless of MI HB 4744,” the business owner wrote, according to Daily Mail.
Gov. Whitmer signed legislation in March that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Geiger noted that she is a small business owner and that she is “not bound to any oaths as realtors are regarding discrimination.” She also reportedly wrote “Take a stand,” apparently as a challenge to others to stand up to the alphabet mob.
Michigan hair salon BANS non-binary people & anyone who uses pronouns from using the salon- telling them to visit the pet groomers instead.
‘If a human identifies as anything other than a man/woman please seek services at a local pet groomer.’
Do you agree or disagree? ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mNMHaQJVmW
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 12, 2023
Local LGBTQ+ advocates evidently got wind of the post and blasted it on Facebook, slamming the woman for her viewpoint and comments, eventually bullying her into closing the account down.
“This is a real post from a local salon in downtown Traverse City. You are allowed to your opinion but you are not allowed to discriminate [sic],” a comment on Facebook read, according to Daily Mail.
Geiger asserted that she had “no issues with LGB. It’s the TQ+ that I’m not going to support.” She also claimed that the “+” is code for “Minor Attracted Person aka: pedophile.”
The salon owner declared that she is “not willing to play the pronoun game or cater to requests outside of what I perceive as normal” for her customers.
“Conservatives need to acclimate these woke individuals to their new reality,” she railed on social media, adding that she’s “HAD ENOUGH of their ideologies.”
Geiger was dragged on Facebook for her post, receiving heavy backlash from residents who accused her of displaying “vile behavior.”
303 Creative Fallout:
Michigan hair salon refusing to serve LGBTQ people on “free speech” claims, “If a human identifies as anything other than a man/woman, please seek services at a local pet groomer,” urged the hair salon owner. “You are not welcome at this salon. Period.” pic.twitter.com/g0IZs1vjYY— Andrew L. Seidel (@AndrewLSeidel) July 11, 2023
“So much for ‘taking a stand’ — post was deleted,” one person quipped.
“Christine, people with your level of hate and ignorance are the reason many people who are struggling take their own lives,” another Facebook user informed her.
“Imagine someone already struggling with how they are feeling and being on the edge and then reading that they should go to a dog groomer?!” another wrote.
In an email to the Detroit Free Press, Jocelyn Link, who is a chairperson at Polestar LGBTQ+ Community Center in Traverse City, said Studio 8 Hair Lab’s comments are not welcome in the community.
“Hate has shown time and time again to be a losing business strategy and we must not allow this blight to take root in our town,” Link proclaimed. “Traverse City has a vibrant and thriving queer community thanks in part to our many allies and queer-friendly businesses. Statements like the one from Studio 8 undermine the hard work that has been put in to make Traverse City the absolute best that it can be.”
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