Nancy Cañas
Washington, D.C.-based cosmetologist and hairstylist Nancy Cañas may spend days trimming and blow-drying hair, but she views each session as more than a transaction; not only does she love her job, but she also loves making others feel their best. For Cañas, hair styling is a way to transform her clients’ confidence at the same time as their hair. “Each person that sits in my chair represents a story,” she tells GO. “In the span of 30 to 60 minutes, I learn about their lives, their struggles, and their joys. Affirming who they are is truly the best moment of my day.” And creating space for others — specifically Latinx womxn and LGBTQ+ families — is Cañas’ mission outside of the salon as well. She became the President of Latinx History Project, a nonprofit that aims to preserve Latinx LGBTQ+ history and promote acceptance within the wider community, in 2018 after volunteering with the organization for seven years. As a former Executive Board Member of the DC Gurly Show (DCGS), Cañas worked to highlight the voices of Latinx and diverse communities in the longest-running queer burlesque troupe in the country. She also founded Create Your History — a service for LGBTQ+ youth offering mentoring, hair services, and job readiness training — in late 2018 to combine her passion for both cosmetology and performance. —GP
