Business by Kristin Nilsen

5 Ways to Celebrate Pride Month at Your Barbershop

A barber adds a little glitter to his brown beard as a representation of his support for Pride Month.
The beauty of June is finally upon us–summer days, warm rays of sunshine, hot-weather activities, and above all, glorious Pride Month! We know we’re hyped to welcome Pride Month this year (just like every other year), so we imagine all you barbers out there are feeling that excitement, too. 

Each year, it’s fun to figure out new ways to throw your support and love into Pride Month as June rolls around. But Pride is so much more than rainbow mohawks, multi-colored beard dyes, and rocking the perfect Pride look at your favorite parades. Pride Month is big, important, and historic–it’s the representation and honor of a community that has been overlooked, discriminated against, hated, and unrepresented.

June is about sharing your love and support for that community–the one that’s faced hardship and hate and trial. And more than that, it marks the anniversary of the Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969—the events that led to a national firestorm of activism and elevated the fight for LGBTQIA+ equality.

Plus, it’s a celebration–one that marks the beauty, originality, and uniqueness of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

All of that can lead to some serious pressure when it comes time to celebrate within your shop. But don’t sweat it, barbers–we’ve got a blog full of go-to ideas for showing your Pride support respectfully and readily. 

The Top 5 Ideas for Celebrating Pride Month in Your Barbershop 

Focus on Improving that Year-Round Attitude 

Going all out for celebration in June is a must for Pride Month–but your year-round mindset and attitude should come first. If your shop is focused on Pride, inclusivity, and love just this month, it might be time to examine the shop values and figure out how you can better represent them. Start by taking a good, hard look at your shop.

 Do you have a specific no-tolerance policy for hate? Would you count your barbershop as a safe space? Walk yourself through your customer and employee experiences. Would you consider those experiences safe and welcoming to everyone? Do you think there are ways you could improve these experiences? Could you make your allyship or support more well-known and vocal? 

Think long and hard about how you support the LGBTQIA+ community throughout the year–not just June–and start enacting real and powerful change! 

Volunteer Within the Community

Use June as the kickstart you need to give the LGBTQIA+ community what they need most–your time and support! Volunteering within the community is needed and, as a shop, you can show that you’re supportive, ready to fight with them, and on board with helping with much-needed representation. 

Whether you’re a member of the community or not, allies and supporters are always appreciated and needed. But further, just providing your time and making connections with the community can make a huge difference.  

Offer Your Shop as a Space for LGBTQIA+ Events 

Not sure how to use your shop to push the Pride agenda? Offer it up! Seriously–your shop is likely the perfect meeting space for LGBTQIA+ events, meetings, and rallies. 

If you’re part of this community in any way, want to make sure it’s known that you support and love the community, and are looking for ways to get involved, consider letting your shop be the contribution you’ve been seeking. 

Highlight Products from LGBTQIA+ in Your Shop

Take a peek at your backbar and your retail products. Ask yourself. What do you know about these companies? Is it possible that you're highlighting organizations that stay silent about LGBTQIA+ discrimination? Do you think there are ways you could better support the queer community with your hard-earned dollars? 

Examining your products and swapping some out to support LGBTQIA+ companies can make an enormous difference. 

Not only does it force you to be more mindful about the ways you’re spending money and who you’re personally supporting, but it can also open up your customers to new products from a community they desperately want to support too. 

Open Your Shop Booths to Rising LGBTQIA+ Barbers 

One of the best and most exciting ways to show your Pride support is to use the month of June to open booths in your shop for rising stars in the LGBTQIA+ community! 

Welcome new–and maybe even well-known barbers–within this community and highlight their work at your shop. Mentoring new barbers within the LGBTQIA+ community is a fabulous way to show your support for these communities, too! 

Have a few fun ways to support Pride on your own terms? We want to hear about it! Share your knowledge with the NAOB team and the barbering community here by dropping a comment in the reply section below. 

Seeking a way to stay informed and up to date on the latest in the barbering biz? NAOB–as always–is here to help. Connect with us, keep your finger on the pulse of the industry, and glean insightful advice from the pros when you subscribe to NAOB right here, right now!