A hair salon based in Traverse City, Michigan, is facing criticism after a controversial Facebook post declared that transgender customers were not welcome and suggested they should seek services at a local pet groomer, Your Content has learned.
The post, which has since been deleted but was saved and shared by LGBTQnation, appeared to be a response to a recent US Supreme Court decision in favor of a Christian graphic designer seeking the right to refuse to work with gay couples.
The Facebook post from Studio 8 Hair Lab received hundreds of comments and reactions, with LGBTQ+ advocates expressing strong opposition before the post was taken down. It also made a reference to Michigan’s hate crime law, MI HB 4744, stating that regardless of the law, the salon would simply refer to individuals with pronouns such as “hey you.” However, earlier this year, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expanded the law to protect people from discrimination based on their gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or disabilities.
The co-owner of the salon, Christine Geiger, did not respond to requests for comment. Traverse City has announced that an investigation into the salon’s alleged discrimination is underway. After deleting the initial post, Geiger clarified on a different Facebook page that she has no issues with lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals, but expressed opposition to transsexual, queer, and other sexual orientations. In a screenshot captured by LGBTQnation, Geiger falsely claimed that the “+” symbol represented pedophiles.
In response to the controversy, hair product company Jack Winn Pro publicly distanced itself from the salon, stating on Facebook that Geiger no longer has authorization to represent their brand and emphasizing their strong stance against hate speech and discrimination.
As a result of the public attention, the Yelp page for Geiger and Studio 8 Hair Lab has been closely monitored by Yelp’s support team, who temporarily disabled content posting due to the influx of negative reviews unrelated to actual consumer experiences.