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Quebec Tribunal Orders Salon to Pay $500 to Non-Binary Client Over Binary-Only Booking

The non-precedential ruling signals businesses to review gendered booking forms.

Overview

  • Quebec’s Human Rights Tribunal found Station10 in Longueuil discriminated against Alexe Frédéric Migneault by requiring a choice of men’s or women’s haircut when booking online.
  • The tribunal ordered $500 in damages, echoing a 2024 recommendation by Quebec’s Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission that the salon had declined.
  • After the complaint, the salon added a non-gendered booking option and had offered three free haircuts, but the tribunal said an exception could have been made with little effort.
  • Migneault sought more than $12,000 in damages while the salon pursued a $5,000 counterclaim for alleged abuse of process, and the tribunal rejected both while upholding discrimination.
  • Station10 says it is weighing an appeal with a March 5 deadline as legal experts note the decision is not binding precedent yet may prompt businesses to rethink gendered systems and rely on factors like time or hair length.