These Tucson businesses are welcoming LGBTQ+ customers with open arms
Amanda Pederson, owner of Fern Grove Spa
Body positivity is a concept that anyone can appreciate, as it focuses on a belief in one’s own value over perceived perfection. However, it is a movement that can be even more vitally important for the LGBTQ+ community, where body image issues can frequently influence mental and physical health.
A pair of Tucson-area Local First Arizona members have taken body positivity to heart in an effort to help their customers feel more comfortable and welcome.
Photographer Rachel Castillo and wellness studio owner Amanda Pederson developed keen understandings for what was lacking in the market, which is why they individually created atmospheres where LBGTQ+ clients feel safe, affirmed and understood.
Portraits that celebrate every body type and gender
Tucson photographer Rachel Castillo
“I think a good photo affects your self esteem, your confidence and how you show up in the world,” Castillo, owner of Tucson Headshot and Rachel Marie Photography, says.
Castillo, who came out around the same time she began practicing photography in college more than 20 years ago, makes a living making others feel comfortable with themselves.
She specializes in photographing curvy women over 45 and snapping identity-affirming portraits for the queer community.
“I found a bunch of friends who were drag queens and drag kings, and that’s where I started my photography journey,” she said. “I didn’t really make the connection at first that the photos are gender affirming, but that’s what they are. And that goes a long way for my ‘why.’”
‘For the first time, I saw myself how I feel inside.’
LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce board member Melissa Cordero (photo by Rachel Castillo)
One of Castillo’s recent clients, a board member for Tucson’s LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, wrote a glowing review of her experience.
Melissa Cordero was hesitant to explore her more masculine side, but the session with Castillo facilitated that in a comfortable and safe way.
“What sets Rachel apart is her remarkable ability to create a safe and affirming space for her clients,” Cordero said. “The moment of truth arrived when I saw the final photos, and I was genuinely moved. For the first time in my life, I saw myself in a way that truly resonated with how I've always felt inside.”
Castillo said she engaged in an equally transformative experience while on campus at the University of Arizona for Trans Day of Visibility. While photographing the woman, Castillo gave her the space to pose for a pretend maternity shoot. The feedback was instant. She lit up, Castillo said.
“I’m sure there’s not been another adult in her life who has encouraged her to play like that. It was very special,” Castillo said. “Because she got to pretend that she had this baby, it was affirming her fantasy, affirming her body and the idea she had for her body. It was really sweet.”
No shame, just trust at this Tucson spa
Lemongrass spray and body butter from The Fern Grove Spa
Pederson understands the impact of being able to see yourself represented on the outside as you feel on the inside.
She opened The Fern Grove Spa (5460 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite 324) because she wanted to trade the corporate world for the entrepreneurial one, and began to realize how profoundly skin health is linked to confidence.
Pederson describes the studio, which she owns and works side-by-side with her sister, as a place that takes a holistic approach to skin health. It’s less anti-aging and more age management, for example. It’s a place where body hair isn’t shamed, and where appointments are more about connection than a transaction. And every service is the same price, regardless of gender.
“We’re not the 10-minute, Brazilian wax assembly line. We’re going to do an amazing job, and it’s going to be meticulous, and it’s about building trust,” Pederson said. “People are coming into our establishment and taking their pants off, and we don’t take that lightly.”
Whatever your anatomy, you’re safe here
Amanda Pederson and her sister, Dayna
Pederson and her sister, Dayna Danielson, recognized there were needs, especially within the LGBTQ+ community, that weren’t being met by local spas.
Genderless service offerings was one, while gender neutral make-up lessons and facial hair tinting were others.
Facial hair tinting creates a fuller look for those who are growing facial hair for the first time while going through a gender transition. And make-up lessons, while beneficial for any woman at any age, is also helpful for trans women. Both services help ease body dysphoria.
“Whatever anatomy you’re showing up with, we will work with. There are other places in town that are safe to go, but they don’t always overtly advertise it. And there are places in town that are not safe to go to if your anatomy does not match how you dress, but it’s not always clear which places are unsafe,” she said. “From the start, I wanted it to be that nobody had to guess.”
Hire Rachel Castillo to take your portrait at Rachel Marie Photography or Tucson Headshot.
Visit The Fern Grove Spa to make an appointment.
Find other Tucson businesses at LocalFirstAZ.com/Directory.
