A neighborhood hair salon in Longueuil, Canada has been ordered to pay damages after a dispute over its online booking form spiraled into a full LGBTQ and non-binary rights case. Alexe Frédéric Migneault, who uses they/them pronouns, said they chose Station 10 in 2023 because it charged haircuts by the minute. But when attempting to schedule an appointment, they encountered a mandatory gender selection that offered only “male” or “female.”
“It is not fair, and it’s not legal to tell me, ‘No, since you don’t fit into my worldview, I don’t want to do anything with you, and I don’t want you as my customer,’” Migneault told CTV News. Migneault said the LGBTQ rights experience triggered severe emotional distress. “I was already spiraling into a huge mental health crisis, and it precipitated my, falling to complete a disability,” they said. “I was unable to work for a year and a half.”
– Victoire importante pour les droits de personnes non-binaires au Québec –
Je veux prendre un moment pour féliciter le militant non-binaire Alexe Frédéric Migneault pour sa victoire écrasante contre le salon de coiffure Station10 à Longueuil.
Cette semaine, le Tribunal des… pic.twitter.com/oNgCSAKSdL
— Alex Tyrrell (@AlexTyrrellPVQ) February 19, 2026
Salon co-owner Alexis Labrecque argued the booking structure was purely operational. Because the salon prices services by time, appointments are scheduled based on average haircut duration. “It typically takes longer for a woman’s haircut than a man’s haircut,” Labrecque said. “So we optimize our agendas accordingly. We also get statistics for marketing.”
Migneault shared a post saying, “Here’s my new answer to an intrusive question about my gender identity.” The statement reads: “i do not identify as a boy or a girl, i identify as a nuisance. an irritant. a fool and a problem.”
No doubt, the owners at Station10 salon agree.…
— Terry Newman (@TLNewmanMTL) February 20, 2026
After Migneault filed a LGBTQ rights complaint, Quebec’s Human Rights Commission recommended a $500 CAD settlement. The salon rejected broader allegations and the matter proceeded to the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal, where a judge ultimately upheld the $500 award.
Labrecque expressed frustration with the outcome, saying the financial penalty itself was not the central concern. “The amount we have to pay is relatively small compared to the precedent it creates for LGBTQ legal debates in Quebec,” he said. Migneault, however, described the ruling as validation. “It was discrimination, and non-binary people should not be forced to pick between men and women if they don’t want to identify as such,”
HOT NEWS🔥: 🇨🇦 #Canada Quebec hair salon ordered to pay $500 to non-binary client
A recent ruling from the Quebec human rights tribunal has put Station10 hair salon at the centre of a larger legal battle and social debate…. pic.twitter.com/RH6sFdxyZi
— MPC News (@MyPeoplesCard) February 19, 2026
The LGBTQ salon controversy is not the first time Migneault has publicly challenged gender policies. In 2023, the non-binary activist staged a hunger strike outside Quebec’s public health insurance board, pressing officials to introduce a gender-neutral “X” designation on provincial health cards.
While the damages awarded in the salon case were modest, the decision is likely to fuel ongoing debate about how businesses structure everyday systems — and how even a drop-down menu can carry legal consequences if a LGBTQ rights complaint or lawsuit is filed. Station 10 retains the option to appeal the ruling.
