The LGBTQ+ Hair Revolution: Transforming Bright Colors into Expressions of Self-Affirmation

      Mags Naylor has heard the common jokes about non-binary baristas with colorful hair before, and they aren’t interested in hearing them again. It’s out of style in their salon chair, though not for the reasons one might expect. “Whenever I dye someone’s hair blue, we kind of end up making the joke. Oh, you're like a blue-haired they/them now, because that’s a thing,” Naylor explains. “But we say it in a way that almost pokes fun at people who hold those views.” Nonetheless, the stereotype continues—and it’s important to challenge it right away: not every queer individual sports bright, fantastical hair. For many, however, vibrant color is a significant way to express their identity. Over the past three years, Naylor has operated Exhibit Salon, a queer-owned hair salon in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, specializing in gender-affirming haircuts, vibrant hair colors, and inclusive grooming. Despite ongoing political threats from Washington aimed at undermining LGBTQIA+ rights, the business is thriving—and so is the use of rainbow-colored hair dye. None of Naylor’s clients have shied away from bold colors out of worry about being targeted or seen as “too queer.” On the contrary, Naylor mentions that more people are embracing fantasy shades—refusing to tone themselves down, even in these uncertain times. “There’s a joy that's associated with it,” Naylor remarks. “It's also a way to signal to others that their values or beliefs exist in a culture that is becoming more conservative.” For many queer and gender non-conforming individuals, beauty transcends aesthetics—it serves as a means to reclaim identity, affirm presence, and occupy space without apology. Hair, like clothing and accessories, has historically been a subtle signal: a method of conveying who you are before you utter a word. In today’s political environment—where even pride pins and fruit-shaped hair clips can be interpreted as statements—nothing makes a bolder declaration than shaving your head and dyeing it green. If not for the world, Naylor contends, then for yourself. “Dyeing your hair is a choice you make, and in a time when so many choices are being stripped away again, it’s a radical act that helps you feel better about yourself,” Naylor observes. “When you go to a salon and suddenly have bright yellow hair, you can look at yourself with joy.” Fantasy hair color is a way to unapologetically claim space and to be visible on your own terms—sometimes even before you’re ready to verbalize it.

      For Richard Gallo, a Senior Beauty Director at a public relations firm in New York City, the journey with fantasy hair colors began long before he even accepted himself. Growing up in a religious household, Gallo recalls flipping through hair magazines from the early '90s in salons and persuading his dad to buy him Joico Ice Spikerz Colors hair gels. “I always based my Halloween costumes around something that would let me try a different hair color,” Gallo confesses. Once the costumes were stored away, the hair gel remained—a secret treat he would indulge in alone behind closed bathroom doors. “At that time, I didn’t realize I was gay, but dyeing my hair was a means of self-expression,” he reflects. “I knew there were aspects of me that enjoyed beauty and playing with my hair.” The punk-rock and emo scenes of the early 2000s provided him with cover—a space where bold hair colors were not only accepted but celebrated. Dye became a form of camouflage, a way to explore parts of himself that still lacked language. If Gerard Way could flaunt bright red hair and be considered cool, why couldn’t Gallo? “I found any excuse to dye my hair, honestly.” Hair gels evolved into Splat highlights, leading to full bleaching by age 18, just as Gallo entered college. There, in the safety of a friend's apartment bathroom, far from the scrutinizing eyes of his conservative hometown, Gallo’s fantasy color began to blossom. “It was just fun. It felt freeing. It was liberating in a way; I didn’t care what people thought about me, and it allowed me to express myself in a way I’d never been able to,” Gallo shares. “In college, people accepted me for who I was and how I chose to present myself—like dyeing my hair different colors.” Since then, Gallo has tried every version of fantasy color imaginable, all thanks to a reliable team of stylists he’s collaborated with over the years due to his profession. (“My head was like a canvas. I would say, 'Paint me like one of your French girls!'”) He has sported silver, blue, fuchsia, green with blue zig-zags, and even a shade he affectionately calls “Ronald McDonald red.” “It’s always been a journey for