TACOMA, Wash. – The wooden floor creaks upon entry to the empty wine bar and event space on Sixth Avenue at the edge of downtown Tacoma. Particles dance in the hazy early afternoon sun casting a gentle light over the mismatched sofa and chairs and bottles of wine displayed against the wall. Beyond a smattering of tables and the grand piano, a curtained doorway opens to the black and white checked floorspace of a barbershop. Progress pride flags, a Black Lives Matter poster, trans-affirming stickers, and bunting reading “be kind” and “cultivate empathy” pepper the walls as part of an eclectic art collection inviting clients to enter.
A former social worker and self-proclaimed introvert, Georgette Watje, founder and owner of The Barber Collective, knows all too well the power of a space to bolster or break her clients. “I couldn’t control the conversations being had around me,” she said regarding previous shops at which she worked, “and if I’m going to be a safe space for somebody, I need the entire space to be safe not just my chair.”
No stranger to life changes, Watje first began her work as a barber in Tacoma after she and her wife, Jayla, relocated from Baltimore by way of Denver. Having transitioned to transportation logistics, she found herself craving creativity and connection in her work without the personal toll that can come with social services. Seeking input from her wife and friends, it quickly became clear that barbering fit the bill, allowing Watje to blend her love for art, her creativity, and her enjoyment of one-to-one connections.
Owning her own shop was a less obvious goal. “I had so much fun cutting hair that I didn’t want to ruin the fun by owning a business,” she said, adding that she was concerned “that would suck the joy right out of me being creative.” That mindset shifted after hearing people in the shops where she worked say harmful things one too many times around clients. “I was tired of having to be a barber and a bouncer,” she said. So, she began looking at studio spaces to rent in late 2019. While cleaning out the garage during early quarantine, the idea for opening The Barber Collective from that space began to grow, along with its mission of supporting the queer community. “I want to be able to be, yes, a barber, but also an ear, a sounding board, and an advocate for the community as much as I can without burning myself out,” she said.
Watje’s reach extends beyond Tacoma. Through social media posts and word of mouth, clients from all over the Puget Sound have found a home with The Barber Collective. Watje also endeavors to build connections when she travels, supporting local queer-owned businesses she locates through the Everywhere is Queer website and providing free haircuts to the local queer community when she and her wife visit their condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. “Some people say, ‘it’s just a haircut,’ but it’s more than that,” she said.
Believing that hair has no gender, and yet recognizing it is also deeply personal, Watje takes her role in helping others find joy in their gender expression seriously. “I think just like coming out is a process, your hair journey is a process,” she said. As someone who has gone from hiding her hair to reveling in it after “the Big Chop,” she understands well the emotional and mental toll her clients sometimes experience and wants each one to feel comfortable every step of the way. “What I try to remind the people in the chair is that you don’t have to do a big chop the first time around, and maybe you won’t even really love your first cut. You will be happy that you made the jump… It doesn’t matter if we nail it on the first try or it takes us four. We’re gonna get you there. You’ll figure it out.”
Building community is a priority for Watje beyond her shop. She and her wife were instrumental in starting the Tacoma Queer City Sports league, in part due to their experiences forming deep friendships through similar leagues in both Baltimore and Denver. At any given Queer City Sports event you can find both of them making their way through the crowd, hugging attendees and laughing. Her face lights up as she describes the meaning she and others have found in it. Regardless of whether people play or simply attend to cheer on others, “you’re gonna meet your people. It’s a beautiful thing to watch,” she said.
Even prior to opening her own shop, Watje’s community-focused mindset extended to local small businesses. “It was the way that small businesses in Tacoma found a way to help each other out and support each other,” she said, describing several local businesses that inspired her approach to ownership, including her first barber job in a combined barbershop and taphouse. “You can put yourself on an island and look at everybody else as competition, or you can work together to support each other and grow. So, when I started The Barber Collective, it was from the jump always kind of my mission that if I ever grew it, I would partner with another business in some way.”
The Barber Collective underwent rapid expansion over a few months during the late spring and summer, adding another barber, a stylist/colorist, and moving into the back of The Mill by Jack + Adeline. Watje also collaborated with Megan Rapinoe in partnership with the Rainbow Center and Oasis Youth Center to provide transformational cuts. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel real. I don’t know. I’m just trying to take it a day at a time,” she said regarding the quick growth. The gratitude Watje feels for what her shop has become is something she hopes extends to her clients as well. Her wish is that every client that leaves The Barber Collective walks away “feeling better, happier, self-fulfilled, with more self-worth,” she said. “I want them to leave feeling better than when they came in.”
The beauty of queer-affirming spaces lies in their potential to generate community where individuals can be seen and known for who they are. The laughter emanating from the shop at any given moment reflects the joy clients and staff alike find in the space built by Watje. Authenticity is also prized at The Barber Collective. Watje is no stranger to clients crying in her chair as they unload burdened hearts or to displaying her own vulnerability. It’s in sharing these raw moments of joy and struggle that community is strengthened. If you’re looking for a place where you can keep your look sharp and be celebrated in your journey of being your true self, consider booking an appointment at The Barber Collective. After all, it’s more than a haircut.
Follow The Barber Collective on Instagram (@thebarbercollectivetacoma), Facebook (@thebarbercollectivetacoma), and their website (The Barber Collective) to stay up-to-date.
To view the digital magazine version of the article, including a full transcript of the interview with Watje, please click here.
