A moment that changed me: The haircut that liberated me as a butch lesbian

I came out in my late teens, but still felt repressed by my appearance. Almost 10 years after first booking a short back and sides, I finally took the plunge - and immediately felt revitalised

The hairdresser steadied my head as I sat in the swivel chair, face mask on, staring into the mirror. In December 2020, another lockdown loomed, and nearly 12 months earlier I had made it a New Year's resolution to get short hair that year. Within 45 minutes, my shoulder-length mop was down to a couple of inches.

People often get radical haircuts in response to life-changing events, such as a breakup or the loss of a loved one. I got mine because I wanted to embrace how I felt as a butch lesbian.