In a historic move, lawmakers in France's lower house of parliament have overwhelmingly approved a bill that aims to ban discrimination based on hair texture, length, color, or style. The groundbreaking legislation sends a powerful message of support to Black people and others who have faced hostility and discrimination in the workplace and beyond solely because of their hair.

The bill, proposed by French lawmaker Olivier Serva from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, seeks to amend existing anti-discrimination measures in the labor code and criminal code to explicitly outlaw discrimination against people with curly, coiled, or other hairstyles perceived as unprofessional, as well as those who are bald. While the bill does not specifically target race-based discrimination, it is driven by the primary motivation to address racial biases surrounding hair.

With only 50 of the National Assembly's 577 lawmakers present for the vote, the bill passed by an overwhelming margin of 44-2, with four abstentions. Supporters of the measure outside parliament expressed their joy at the bill's progression, with one consultant, Estelle Vallois, stating, "Today, we're going even further toward taking down these barriers of discrimination."

If the bill eventually becomes law, France would become the first country in the world to officially recognize and address discrimination based on hair at a national level. Serva hailed the approval as a significant step forward for the country, saying, "France has done itself proud."

The draft law mirrors similar legislation in over 20 U.S. states, known as the CROWN Act, which prohibits race-based hair discrimination in various spheres of society. However, as the bill now heads to the conservative-dominated Senate, it is expected to face opposition from right-wing and far-right lawmakers who view it as an attempt to import American concepts of race and discrimination to France.

Critics of the bill argue that France already provides sufficient legal protection against discrimination based on Afro hair, braids, cornrows, or locs. However, supporters maintain that existing laws are not comprehensive enough, highlighting cases like that of Aboubakar Traoré, a Black flight attendant who won a decade-long legal battle against Air France, where he was denied access to a flight because of his braids.

France's universalist vision, which does not officially collect data on race or differentiate citizens by ethnic groups, has made it challenging to measure race-based hair discrimination. Advocates of the bill view it as an essential step toward addressing the long-standing struggle of Black French people in embracing their natural hair.

Aude Livoreil-Djampou, a hairdresser, and mother of mixed-race children, emphasized that the bill goes beyond mere aesthetics, stating, "It will give strength to people to be able to answer, when asked to straighten their hair, they can say, 'No, this is not legal, you cannot expect that from me, it has nothing to do with my professional competence.'"

Salon customer Vallois expressed her hope that her young daughter will grow up in a society that celebrates and does not stigmatize diverse hair textures. She noted the progress made in terms of accessibility to hair products and services, stating, "There's no reason to be ashamed of who you are, whether it's your hair or even the fact that you don't have any!"

While the bill still faces a challenging journey ahead in the Senate, its approval in the lower house marks a significant milestone in the efforts to combat hair discrimination in France. If successfully passed into law, it will serve as a powerful symbol of inclusivity and equal rights for individuals of all hair types and styles.