CELEBRITY

Happy Hippie Foundation Highlights Hair Empowerment with Gender Spectrum

Photo: Will Heath/NBC

The Happy Hippie Foundation just released an insightful video about what hair expression means to different people. “Navigating Barbershops: Tips for a Better Experience” is one of a series of videos by Gender Spectrum. The video on the Happy Hippie Foundation’s Instagram starts with William, the Online Coordinator for Gender Spectrum, pointing out that hair “can be a really powerful tool for gender expression but it can also be really affirming to our gender identity.”

The short video goes on to talk about how it can be unnerving to walk into a barbershop for the first time, but also how something as simple as a haircut can also be empowering.

William reminisced: “…when I got my first cut, I remember, it was the first time I ever saw myself how I actually envisioned myself.”

The video is an excellent reminder to not be afraid to express yourself and not feel intimidated by different forms of body and image shaming. Everyone should feel empowered to look the way that feels appropriate to them. You don’t need to explain yourself to anyone or have a list of reasons or explanations. But if you do, that’s okay too. If it feels right for you, it probably is.

Gender Spectrum describes its Mission as “to create a gender-inclusive world for all children and youth. To accomplish this, we help families, organizations, and institutions increase understandings of gender and consider the implications that evolving views have for each of us.

You can learn more about the Gender Spectrum organization HERE.