What is REFUGE restrooms?

Refuge Restrooms is a web application that seeks to provide safe restroom access for transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming individuals. Users can search for restrooms by proximity to a search location, add new restroom listings, as well as comment and rate existing listings.

We’re trans led and seek to create a community focused not only on finding existing safe restroom access, but also advocating for transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming people’s safety.

Where did you get all this data?

The first 4500 entries are thanks to the old Safe2Pee database. The rest of our database is generated by our users. If you know of a gender neutral or safe restroom, please add it to our database!

Why did you pick the name REFUGE?

We firmly believe that everybody has the right to use the restroom in safety and we wanted the name of our application to have a little of same dignity we want to give our users. Quite simply, we hope to provide a place of refuge in your time of need.

What's the big deal about restrooms anyway and why do we need this resource?

One of the biggest battlefields upon which the fight for transgender rights is taking place daily are restrooms. It seems that every other week a transgender child is made the center of a national news story because they used the restroom assigned to the gender they identify with. Obviously, we believe that every transgender person should have the right to use the restroom they want to. However, we also realize that despite legislative victories in recent years regarding restroom usage, many transgender individuals still face both verbal and physical harassment simply for using the restroom. Nobody should have to face that - and that is why we created REFUGE.

What can we do to help?

First: Add listings. The database is only as big as you make it. The more listings, the more comprehensive and valuable the resource can be.

Secondly: Spread the word. Tweet. Facebook. Blog. Whatever it is that you do, do it. Let people know about this resource.

Thirdly: If you know how to code, visit GitHub and let us know about a bug, suggest an improvement, or even contribute a little bit of code and help out the project. REFUGE is open source and we can't do it without you.

Fourthly: Donate. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming crowd funding campaign to fund some of the technology we need to use as well as to pay our fabulous designers and engineers a little bit of money for their hard and tireless work. They have been working for free to bring this service to you and we don't want anybody to work for free. Most of the core team are transgender and underemployed at this time.

Why is my business or organization listed?

Find out more on our Business FAQ!