Attorney Gloria Allred, who championed transgender rights long before they were trendy, has settled a ground-breaking lawsuit against a barber shop that declined service to her self-identified male client.
But in yet another example of liberal bias and journalistic sloth, Allred’s press conference Monday attracted little attention since the case’s resolution provides no political fodder for “women” with male plumbing demanding to use the ladies room.
Born female and clearly seeking just a haircut and not a reality show, Rose Trevis, accompanied by his domestic partner Laura Lozano, walked into Hawleywood’s Barber Shop and Shaving Parlor in Long Beach on March 4 to ask for service. An employee told Trevis, who looks kind of butch, “We don’t serve women.”
Instead of scurrying out the door with his newfound evidence of discrimination, like some gays casing Christian bakeries do, Trevis persisted.
“Who says I’m a woman?” he asked.
But another barber said, “We do not cut women’s hair and women are not even allowed in the shop!”
In fact, Haweleywood’s, which has three California locales and one in Australia, then bragged on its website about providing customers’ a “male sanctuary” because, “You all know how distracting a woman can be, and who wants a straight razor shave with a buxom blonde in the joint?”
Trevis sued the barbershop in LA Superior Court on March 29 for gender discrimination.
Under the settlement announced today he gets undisclosed monetary damages and legal fees. Plus, Hawleywood’s removed the discriminatory language from its website and agreed to serve women.
“Being frowned at and denied service for a haircut based on my perceived gender was quite daunting,” Trevis said. “It was pretty surprising. Based on the location, I was kind of taken off guard.”
According to their online wedding registry Trevis and his apparently female partner were scheduled to tie the knot on June 16.
But no word on who baked the cake.