LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Inside Cuts on Lime, Kris Mattingly spends their days helping people look and feel their best.
The barber, originally from small-town Kentucky, knows how it can feel to not be entirely comfortable in your own skin.
"What got me into barbering is when I decided to cut all of my hair off, that was back in 2018," Mattingly said. "I think hair has a lot to do with gender identity, because it goes into how we express ourselves and how we present ourselves, and I think as a queer person, presentation is a lot."
Coming from a small town, they said it's not always easy to find a barber or hair stylist who understands the needs of LGBTQ+ people and their gender identity.
It's why they decided to create Queers With Sheers KY. The Instagram page is designed to connect LGBTQ+ community members and allies with barbers and stylists who can help them feel comfortable expressing themselves.
"I have personally had several masculine-presenting clients come in and I cut all of their hair off. And that makes me feel good because I know what that feels like personally, because it happened for me," Mattingly said.
Mattingly hopes the page helps connect people to safe spaces across the state, in urban and rural areas in Kentucky.
"It's the best feeling ever when you can make someone feel good about themselves and make them feel confident about themselves," they said.
