Trans woman denied bikini wax files human rights complaint
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A transgender woman from Canada has filed a complaint to the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal after she was refused a bikini wax.
The woman – who can only be identified as JY – sent a Facebook message to a tanning salon on Surrey, British Columbia in March enquiring about their services.
Upon finding out where they were based, she asked: “Awesome! Do you do Brazilians?”
The salon representative replied: “Not for men sorry.”
The complainant told the salon representative that she is a woman and that she transitioned “a while ago,” but when she asked when she could schedule a visit, she received no response.
She is now seeking $2,500 and an apology from the salon, and told the Calgary Sun that between March and April, she contacted 18 salons and only three agreed to provide a bikini wax.
She has now filed complaints against 15 of the salons contacted.
Speaking to the Canadian news outlet, she said that she “shouldn’t have to do this amount of work to get a leg wax or a Brazilian wax.”
A statement from the salon’s lawyer said that the aesthetician who responded to her inquiry did not have the supplies or training to perform a “Manzilian” wax job.
The aesthetician’s boyfriend is also accused in the complaint of sending harassing and threatening messages to the woman. However, he has accused the complainant of being the harasser.
The tribunal will hold a hearing on the case on October 4 and 5.
Timothy Clary/AFP/Getty
Another transgender woman took a similar case in May when she was refused service by a salon in Ontario, Canada.
She filed a complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and accused them of causing “immense harm” to her dignity, and sought $50,000 in compensation.
The woman alleged that she called the salon to ask if they welcomed trans women. A manager later told her that they didn’t provide waxing services for men, and that the wax artist was a Muslim and that she was uncomfortable with working on male genitals.
The Canadian Human Rights Act states that employers and services in Ontario must provide “accommodations for transgender or gender non-conforming persons when necessary.”
