For Ayanna, getting a haircut at her local barbershop in New York City meant having to fend off unwanted advances from the barber.
“He knew that I was gay but every time I went in he would constantly hit on me and try to take me out,” said Ayanna, a 22-year-old student at a New York City college who declined to give her full name to protect her privacy.
A petite girl sporting short, androgynous hair, Ayanna said she started looking online for barbers friendly to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community to avoid similar uncomfortable situations.