More than just a haircut: Vancouver barbershop creates safe space for trans community
When Jessie Anderson was growing up, he noticed many people had hair salons they trusted where they could relax, feel confident, or even gossip a little. However, he said spaces for the transgender community were lacking in Vancouver.
“I found that even though there were a lot of gay and lesbian spaces starting to open … spaces that dedicated themselves to trans wellness were still extremely rare,” he said. “You kind of had pop-up events that were then torn down without a trace after a few hours, which doesn’t make you feel necessarily super welcome in your community … when your community’s entire existence is almost a secret.”
Nearly 10 years ago, Anderson opened Big Bro’s Barbershop with $9,000 in a tiny art studio with the help of loved ones and crowdfunding.
Being that he was in his 20s and is transgender, he said whatever money he could raise, “Let me see what I can do with it.”
“Then I slowly grew the business up and up.”
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Anderson said Big Bro’s Barbershop aims to provide a space for the wellness of the transgender community, where transgender people can receive hair services without hassle and even purchase gender-affirming products.
At the barbershop, Anderson said he sells gender-affirming products like chest binders (a compressive tank top used to flatten a person’s chest), which he said years ago would only be sold in sex shops.
“If you are a young person interested in a binder … it was such a weird hurdle and such a weird sexualized thing to go and look for,” he explained. “Part of what I wanted this space was for it to be a family-friendly space where you could access these resources and not feel … skeezy for existing.”
Big Bro’s Barbershop also allows the community to donate chest binders and even gives out some products for free.
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“It was really important to me to have Big Bro’s Barbershop be openly by and for the trans community, though not exclusively, but targeted,” he said.
Anderson added he also hoped it could be a place people could wander in and feel comfortable enough to say, “Man, I think I’m trans and I have feelings.”
“The structure of a haircut is a really great way for people to talk … without having the added pressure of a therapy session or support group,” he said.
Of course, you can opt-in for a session to sit without talking, but Anderson and his staff, who come from various backgrounds, are there to support those who have questions or want to talk.
“Our job is kind of just to pass information through the community using these conversation settings,” he said.
As Big Bro’s Barbershop expanded, it moved from a small art studio to a storefront. However, this year, Anderson said the business was “part evicted.”
“We kind of maxed out as far as how much more we could grow within that spot,” he told Daily Hive. “It was kind of a bit of a hostile back and forth with the property management. And … we got booted a month early.”
As the barbershop waited for renovations at its new location to wrap up, Big Joy Barber & Salon offered Anderson a couple of chairs to work out of.
For months, Anderson has had to store most of his salon, sell products from home, and give fewer haircuts.
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Meanwhile, Anderson has been raising funds to help relocate. As of Tuesday, A GoFundMe campaign has raised close to $11,000.
Anderson said the barbershop’s relocation will cost about $240,000, but money from family, the public, and business loans has been “extremely helpful.”
“It’s a very draining and defeating process to relaunch, so knowing that I have the community support … is a huge motivator,” he said.
Finally, Big Bro’s Barbershop will reopen at 2375 East Broadway on Thursday, October 31, 2024.
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Anderson said a new location also means exciting new changes, like new stylists and staff with colour training.
Now that the barbershop is moving from 850 square feet to 1,250 square feet, Anderson said he hopes this location becomes even more welcoming for people to just hang out.