A man has been left shocked after a barbershop refused to cut his hair because of his religious belief.
Kendall Oliver
A transgender man is suing a barbershop after the owner refused to give him a haircut because he only served ‘men’ due to his religious beliefs, Metro reports.
The man identified as Kendall Oliver, a US army sergeant who is a transgender claims The Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga, southern California, refused to give him a haircut.
The shop allegedly said it did not offer cuts to ‘women’.
Kendall is mad his right has been violated and felt pained and rejected because of the act. He said it is an insult to the LGBT community. Lawyers have backed him saying it was a clear violation of California anti-discrimination laws.
The 24-year-old, from Mira Loma, said: ‘It did hurt my feelings, and I don’t want anyone else to experience that.
‘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.’
Kendall is pissed by the refusal of the barbershop to cut his hair
Richard Hernandez, the owner of the shop, has not disputed Kendall’s account but believes the army sergeant did not make it clear that they identify as a transgender man.
Hernandez, who is a member of the Church of God, told the Guardian: ‘We’re definitely not targeting the LGBT movement. We simply don’t cut women’s hair. It’s a traditional men’s barbershop.’
He added: ‘To cut a woman’s hair would be a violation. God teaches a very clear distinction between the genders.’
Also speaking, Gregory Lipper, a lawyer for Americans United for Separation of Church and State who may represent Kendall, said it was illegal for Hernandez to refuse service to women and to transgender customers.
‘Whether I don’t want to cut the hair of women or of people who identify as men, but I deem to be too feminine, however you spin it, this is a clear refusal to cut hair based on sex or gender or perhaps both.’
This dispute is the latest in a number of high-profile cases across the US surrounding the rights of LGBT people to access services.
In 2014, a civil rights commission ruled that a baker had to make wedding cakes for same-sex marriages in response to one couple’s lawsuit in Colorado.