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A transgender teenager claims he was refused a haircut at a 'gentlemen only' barber shop.

Evander Gould, 16, who was born female but now identifies as male, says he was turned away and told that transgender people “have different hair.”

Barber Barber in Liverpool - who say their controversial “no women” policy is lighthearted - categorically denies the incident took place.

The salon owners say they are “not insured” to cut women’s hair and that they are the victims of a vendetta, the Liverpool Echo reports .

Liverpool's assistant mayor, Cllr Nick Small, claims the allegations are true and says there is “no place” for businesses like Barber Barber in the city.

Mr Gould, from Tuebrook, who recently left girls’ school Archbishop Blanch, decided to celebrate coming out as transgender by going to his school prom as a ‘prom king’ this June.

He visited Barber Barber in the hope of getting a haircut - where he claims he was denied entry and that his mum Ruth was told “we don’t do trans-people.”

Mrs Gould said: “I popped my head in the door and said ‘can I speak to somebody about doing my son’s hair please?’

“The guy came out and he looked at him and said ‘oh I don’t know’”

“When I explained, and said ‘he is trans but he is male’, he looked like he was quite awkward and went back into the shop to get another member of staff.

“A guy wearing a bowler hat came out the shop and said ‘we don’t do trans-people’.

“When I told him I thought it was discrimination he said: ‘No, their hair is different.

“‘You’ll have to go somewhere else because we’re not going to do it.’”

Cllr Small said: “It’s not just a case of political correctness gone mad - they have genuinely upset a family.

“Not only have they caused upset to this family, I’ve also heard of plenty of other stories about the store which would raise eyebrows - which while it may be legal, is not the sort of thing we want in Liverpool.”

A spokesperson for Barber Barber said that it had a number of transgender customers.

They said: “Nick Small has an obvious problem with us and that is fine, we’re not everyone’s cup of tea.

“But we would appreciate it if misinformed hysterical public representatives took the opportunity to establish facts before inciting hatred.

“We are not trained to cut female hair. There is a huge difference between men’s and women’s hair and we are not trained, competent or insured to carry out this service.

“We have never refused entry to a transgender boy and have been highlighted by the transgender community as a great place to seek advice and service, as can be seen by comments online.

“Does this guy not have anything more productive to do in his constituency than consistently attack a small business?’”

Mr Gould, who has lived as a male for a number of years, says it is one of the first times in his life he has been made treated poorly for being transgender.

He said: “At school, pretty much everyone knew I was transgender. Some people weren’t informed and would ask awkward questions but I would answer them politely.

“It was harder for people to understand at school because I was in an all girls’ school so I had to wear a skirt. My last school exam was the last day I dressed in female clothing.

“I would be upset if it had happened to someone who wouldn’t react like I did.

“The thing that has annoyed me the most is the way they spoke to my mum. I find it disrespectful.”

Barber Barber, which also has branches in Leeds, Manchester and London is advertised as “the UK’s finest gentleman’s only saloon,” and has caused controversy in the city after refusing to allow women in their shop, even if they are accompanying a paying male customer.

Last August, a Liverpool teenager spoke of her shock after claiming she was asked to leave ­because she was a woman.

At the time Barber Barber maintained its “gentlemen only” policy is “light-hearted” and not meant to offend.

The firm added recently that there is not enough space for non-customers to wait in its shop.