Jasmine Quesnelle, the class representative for the hairstyling program, envisions a future for the AC Salon that is both inclusive for clients and fair to stylists.
On the current price list, a women’s cut is $20, while a men’s is $10. According to Quesnelle, they would like to move away from the notion that certain lengths of hair are exclusive to certain genders.
“Things are changing and we have to change with them, otherwise we are going to be left in the dust,” she said in an interview with the Times.
This thought came after more than one client questioned why women and men pay different prices for similar cuts.
“You have guys with crazy amounts of beautiful, long hair and women with pixie cuts that want to be in and out in 10 minutes and it just doesn’t make sense for them to be paying different prices for the same results,” said Angie Sturgeon, a teacher with the hairstyling program.
The program faculty have been considering making changes to pricing for quite some time now. They want to maintain a competitive edge while also making sure that their stylists are being fairly compensated for their time and effort.
According to Quesnelle, this is what the program will likely consider when they discuss how they would like to rearrange their prices.
“It really boils down to the fact that some cuts take more effort than others, but it should have nothing to do with who is sitting in your chair,” she said.
The program has received and looked for feedback on different platforms and Quesnelle says most people agree with the direction they would like to take. For one student, it makes sense as long as time and effort are considered.
“I think that they should charge depending on the length of hair and the quality of styling, regardless of if you are male or female,” said nursing student Courtney Mol. “Gender shouldn’t matter if the cut is the same.”
For Sturgeon, the implementation of gender-neutral pricing is something that could benefit many people, including those in the LGBTQ+ community.
“I think it could make a massive difference in terms of how comfortable people feel about coming here,” she said. “It’s definitely important to create safe spaces for people who might not know where they fit on the gender binary.”
The idea here is that if prices are the same for everyone, it will eliminate the need for people to confirm their gender or have someone assume.
Faculty and students would like to make changes to their price list sooner rather than later but it’s something that will require some thought and logistical planning.
While it’s not likely that we will see adjustments this school year, Sturgeon says it’s only a matter of time before we do see it here.