Seattle nail tech: “I came out as transgender to a colleague – I was fired the next day”

At his first salon job, Seattle-based tech, Sidney Simpson, came out as transgender and was fired the following day.

Having worked just a week at his first salon job, the nail tech shared that he was transgender with a colleague – and just one day later, was fired. He says: “The salon claimed it was overstaffed, but a ‘help wanted’ sign remained on the building for four months.”

Finding a job that was accepting of him remained a challenge, as the tech noted: “I went on to work in three more salons, which all made me feel less than human. People would communicate with me like I was a cliché gay best friend character from a movie, and my abilities were doubted by clients and employers. I felt so close, yet so far away from the career I deserved.”

Consequently, Sidney decided to open his own private studio: a safe space for not only himself, but also his preferred clientele. He shares: “Most of my clients are trans or gender queer, and often come to me for their first nail services, or because they feel pressured into certain styles by other pros.

“I did not feel safe working in other salons and realised that my preferred clients didn’t feel safe either. I had a new purpose in providing services where clients would be heard and respected. My nail treatments became gender affirming care, community outreach and therapy for both parties.”

Sidney has been out and medically transitioned for about six years, describing his decision to live as himself as ‘the biggest gesture of self-love’. He says: “I was told I was a girl, but felt disconnected and uncomfortable. It was terrifying to not understand that feeling. I tried to fit into a box of ‘womanhood’, but the longer I did this, the more tormented and outcast I became. I was 25 when everything ‘clicked’ and I realised I am transgender.”

Before his transition, he enjoyed painting his nails as an act of self-expression – which became a weekly tradition he shared with his mother. “When I began my medical transition and started to feel more comfortable within myself, I also felt more inclined to experiment with forms of self-expression that are commonly perceived as feminine. I grew fascinated by L&P acrylic and its creative possibilities, and in 2021, I began attending evening classes to qualify as a nail technician,” says Sidney.

Since experiencing the lack of acceptance in the nail industry, the tech shares his advice for other transgender pros: “Seek support from, do business with and be inspired by other queer and trans people. I like to describe myself as ‘obnoxiously out’. To me, it is immensely important to be seen and heard as a gay trans man. I feel that when you are your most authentic self, you attract the people and opportunities that are most suited to you. If I hadn’t been ‘obnoxiously out’, many of my clients wouldn’t have found me – and I wouldn’t have been noticed by Scratch.

“Being trans is only one part of a trans person’s story. We are multidimensional people just like everyone else, with victories, heartbreaks, hobbies, relationships and goals,” shares Sidney.

Follow Sidney on Instagram.