Reimagining social work practice with The Queer Barber
Categories: Students
After working in salons for a number of years, Master of Social Work student, E. S. Cuevas founded The Queer Barber, a hair studio “where people can show up exactly as they are, without apology or performance.” E (who uses all pronouns) is now pursuing a Master of Social Work degree with a goal of developing a practice that will bring the two professions — barber and social worker — together.
We spoke to E about what inspires their work, how their social work education is influencing their practice as a barber and vice versa, and their vision for the future.
When did you start cutting hair?
I started informally when I was very young and became licensed in 2016. What began as a practical skill quickly became something much deeper. From the beginning, I was drawn to the one-on-one nature of hair cutting, the trust people place in you, the intimacy of the chair, the way conversations naturally unfold. Over time, I realized that hair cutting wasn’t just something I did — it was a way I connect with people.
What inspired you to launch The Queer Barber?
The Queer Barber was born out of both necessity as well as a vision that I had for myself as a Black, Indigenous, Trans person. I experienced firsthand how unsafe, gendered and uncomfortable traditional hair cutting spaces can be, and I wanted to create a space where people didn’t have to explain themselves, where they didn’t have to brace for discomfort or shrink who they are just to get a haircut. At the same time, I saw how powerful the barber-client relationship could be when it was affirming. The Queer Barber was a way to intentionally design a space rooted in safety and rights, where identity is respected, pricing is gender neutral and people can just show up fully as themselves.
[Read about The Queer Barber in BlogTO]
What were your experiences in traditional salons like in the past?
In my own experience, when I was exploring having short hair and asked for a short hair cut, the hair stylist tried talking me out of it, saying things like, no, don’t do that! You have such a beautiful face! It was just so uncomfortable, and not something that I wanted to hear. I didn’t want to be convinced or talked out of it. I just wanted to be accepted.
When did you decide to pursue a Master of Social Work degree?
After so many years behind the chair, I noticed that clients weren’t just coming in for haircuts, they were coming in to talk, to process, to feel seen. I found myself listening and supporting people through transitions and grief and identity. Pursuing Social Work felt like a natural extension of what I was already doing, but with ethical grounding, theory, and the skills to do it more intentionally and responsibly. I wanted language and structure and accountability for the kind of work I was already practicing informally.
Has your social work education been influencing your work as a barber and vice versa?
My social work education is deepening in my understanding of things like boundaries and consent and power and ethics. It’s made me more attuned to how identity and trauma shape people’s experiences, and I’m more intentional in how I listen and respond. At the same time, barbering has shaped how I show up as a social work student. It’s taught me how to build rapport quickly, how to meet people where they are, and how to practice presence without needing to fix anything. The chair has been one of my greatest teachers in relational work.
What’s your vision for how you’d like to bring your two professions, barber and social worker, together? What might that look like?
I see hair cutting and social work as being complementary, rather than separate, even though they’re both very distinct with different scopes. I envision having a space where, everyday practices, like hair cutting coexist with intentional wellness programming. My vision is to create a space called The Queer Wellness Co., where one can get everything they need in gender affirming care. You could go in for gender affirming hair cutting or gender affirming esthetics. You could go there for therapy and social work support. My partner is going to go to school to become a nurse practitioner once I’m done with school. After that, she’ll step in to support the medical side of gender affirming care. It’s a big vision, and I’m super excited about it. I hope I’m not dreaming too big!
Starting in April, The Queer Barber, in partnership with Understory Cafe, will be launching a monthly community workshop rooted in social work principles and lived experience. The first session of the workshop will focus on self-advocacy in health care and personal care spaces. The goal of these workshops is to equip people with the language and the confidence and the tools to advocate for themselves in spaces that can often feel intimidating and inaccessible. Information will be posted on The Queer Barber website for those interested in learning more and registering.
Your work challenges notions of what social work looks like and where social work expertise and support can be found. What advice do you have for your fellow students or others working in the field, who are thinking of different ways they might apply their skills to reach diverse communities?
Social work is just so flexible and adaptable and versatile; it doesn’t only live in offices or clinical settings. Our skills of listening, advocacy, relationship building and critical thinking can be applied everywhere. Community care often happens in informal spaces like salons, barber shops, cafes, and creative spaces. The key is grounding your work and ethics and humility and accountability while staying open to imagining new ways of reaching people. There’s real room in social work for innovation, especially when it’s rooted in community needs.
I would also add that the most recent Code of Ethics from the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers lists a commitment to promoting social justice for the overall benefit of society, the environment and the global community. That commitment tells you that social work has reach beyond what are typically considered formal, traditional spaces of practice.
Photo, top, by Fareen Karim