(OPINION) A Virginia hair salon fired a Christian stylist over a Facebook post criticizing the streaming movie service Disney+.
“My Facebook is my page,” Sidney York, the fired stylist, told The Daily Signal in an interview Wednesday. “I understand it’s a touchy subject and people may be offended over it, but it had nothing to do with my job.”
York had worked at Hair We Are in Virginia Beach since July 2021. She said she knew her colleagues likely wouldn’t appreciate her Christian views, but decided she had to speak up.
“The hair industry—the beauty industry—is a very woke industry, and I’ve kind of kept my ideas silent for a while,” she said. On Friday, June 2, she shared on Facebook, “I can’t take this anymore, I stand with Jesus.”
York was responding to the National Geographic special “Pride from Above,” which she saw advertised on Disney+. She condemned the LGBT movement for subverting the symbol of the rainbow.
“This is MOCKERY of the covenant God made with his people—that He would not destroy the earth again by water. It’s not okay & it’s not acceptable,” she wrote. “Pride from above? Is pride claiming to be the prophet?
Is Disney spelled upside down look like Jezebel (the name God calls intolerable) to you? Does the ‘+’ look like it could be an upside-down cross? Should we tolerate her?”
Jane Pryor, the salon’s owner and manager, texted York on Sunday morning, writing that she was firing the stylist for “insubordination.”
“I asked you to take the post down yesterday afternoon at 3:15,” Pryor wrote. “You chose not to. You leave me no other choice but to let you go from my company immediately for insubordination.”
The company decided to post a public statement condemning “remarks made by a former employee” that the company described as “homophobic.”
“We want to address a recent incident involving remarks made by a former employee that were homophobic and contrary to the values we hold dear,” Hair We Are Salon posted on Instagram.
“At Hair We Are Salon, we believe in fostering a work environment that is built on respect, inclusivity, and acceptance for everyone and every type of hair. We love hair and helping everyone feel wonderful.”
“We want to make it clear that such behavior is completely unacceptable and does not align with our company values,” the company continues. “We do not tolerate any form of discrimination, including homophobia, within our organization or in any interactions related to our business.”
Hair We Are Salon did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment, asking how the post involved discrimination or homophobia.
