Ellee Salon, which opened on May 7 in LIC, has recently been approved and added to the Strands for Trans database. Photo credit: Ellee Salon.
July 11, 2025 By Jessica Militello
Ellee Salon, a recently opened hair salon on Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, has been officially added to Strands for Trans, a national database of trans-affirming barbershops and salons that foster inclusive and welcoming environments.
The salon, which opened its doors to the Western Queens community on May 7, is located at 46-40 Vernon Blvd. It is owned by Ellen Lee, a veteran stylist with more than 25 years of experience in the hair industry. As a new business owner, Lee said it was important to create a space where everyone feels welcome and valued.
“I’ve always worked more in the Lower Manhattan area, and the customers have been a huge variety of people,” said Lee. “Especially in the 10 years that I was working in Greenwich Village, we had a lot more people who were in all stages of being trans, who started coming into the salon, and it was something that you realize takes a little bit more nuance, because they don’t necessarily have the life experience of having hair that they’ve always wanted to have, and the opportunity to work with somebody to help them think outside of their experience has been really rewarding.”
Strands for Trans provides the first registry of trans-affirming beauty and wellness salons. Photo credit: Strands for Trans.
While working at Salon V on 8th Street in Manhattan, Lee’s previous workplace connected with Strands for Trans and was added to the organization’s registry, which also encourages salons to adopt gender-neutral pricing. When Lee—now a Queens resident—opened her own storefront in Long Island City, she naturally continued the mission by registering with the trans-affirming network.
“There’s this wonderful database that helps connect the trans community with practitioners who are safe and understanding,” said Lee. “One of the requirements is to have gender neutral pricing, which is very important to me as well, so I connected with them and it’s a great way for people to know where they can go and not feel that they have to hide part of who they are.”
Ellee Salon is currently one of only three registered trans-affirming salons or barbershops in Western Queens, including Otis and Finn’s two Long Island City locations. Lee said she hopes her participation inspires others in the neighborhood to join the movement and help build a wider culture of inclusion.
Ellee Salon aims to provide a safe and welcoming space for all members of the Western Queens community. Photo credit: Ellee Salon.
The Strands for Trans website allows users to search by ZIP code for registered barbershops and salons in their area. Businesses can apply to be listed by filling out a simple application on the site. While gender-neutral pricing is a core requirement, Lee emphasized that the initiative goes far beyond cost.
“I hope that it spreads awareness for a trans person who sees this and decides to use the database, or a family member says, ‘Did you know you can go on here and this will help you?’” she said. “I just like the idea of broadening the knowledge base to help everybody and feel that they have a place and people that are interested in helping them.”
To learn more about Strands for Trans, visit strandsfortrans.org. To learn more about Ellee Salon or to book an appointment, visit @ellee_salon on Instagram.
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