In a humble, single-chair barbershop on Toronto's Danforth Avenue, haircuts are becoming moments of personal affirmation for queer and transgender clients. The Queer Barber is a QTBIPOC-owned (acronym for Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) barbershop founded in 2022 by E (who uses all pronouns). One where queer, trans, and QTBIPOC people could walk in without bracing themselves," E told blogTO, whose background consists of barbering, psychology, community care, and now social work. For many queer and trans people, especially those who've been misread or dismissed for years, it can be healing. One of the biggest misconceptions about gender-affirming care, E says, is that it only refers to medical transitions.