Swap the signs

A Call to Action for Gender-Inclusive Washrooms

We call upon all public and private facilities (businesses, organizations, and institutions) on the West Coast with public washrooms to update gendered washroom signage with gender-inclusive signs. It’s simple—swap the signs.

Businesses

individuals

Introduction:

Coastal Queers envisions a well-supported and abundantly-resourced community rooted in collective care. Part of this care is ensuring that everyone has access to the spaces that make our community so vibrant - restaurants, venues, beaches, and shops; as well as essential services like healthcare centers and grocery stores. Everyone deserves access to these spaces - however, trans and non-binary people are often left on the sidelines because many spaces don’t have a gender-inclusive washroom.

This Pride Month, we’re calling on the private and public sectors of our community to take action. You can show authentic support and allyship by creating safer, more inclusive spaces for 2S/LGBTQQIA+individuals. The simple step of updating gendered washroom signage to gender-inclusive signs moves beyond performative gestures, and makes real movement toward lasting change.

Why is this important?

Access to washrooms is a fundamental human right - yet many trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals face discomfort, distress, and danger when using gendered facilities. Gendered washrooms do not accommodate everyone, leaving those who are visibly gender non-conforming at risk of harassment or harm, no matter which option they choose. Creating inclusive washroom spaces is essential to ensuring safety, dignity, and equal access for all.

Why now?

It's Pride! We are running this campaign during pride to give local businesses and organizations the opportunity to show authentic support for the queer community by responding to this local call to action.

From June 1st - 30th, free signs and resources will be available for pick-up at Tourism Tofino and the Tofino Chamber of Commerce. Or, print your own sign using our templates.
Swap your signs, and sign your business up as an inclusive space to be included on the resource pages of Coastal Queers and Tourism Tofino.

Our current political climate. Protests against SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) education, anti-trans policies, and violence toward drag events and queer spaces have created an increasingly hostile environment. Police reported hate crimes targeting 2SLGBTQIA+ people surged by 69% between 2022-2023, making it clear that Canada is not immune to the pushback against queer rights happening with the current USA administration. Now more than ever, visible support and concrete actions are essential to protecting the community.

How to get involved:

Workplaces

Read through this webpage
Read through the Business Owner’s Guide
Update the signage at your workplace
Sign your workplace up with us HERE
Your workplace will be added to the growing list of those who have Swapped the Signs by June 30, 2025 on the Coastal Queers and Tourism Tofino website

Not a business owner, or own a business without a public washroom? Your voice and support is still needed! Click here to sign your name on the petition to support Swapping the Signs.

What we are doing:

Through social media campaigns, in-person connections, community events, and news outlets, we will reach out to local businesses, health & community centers, and other organizations. We will share our information, resources, and toolkit, empowering you to swap the signs.

Coastal Queers, in partnership with Tourism Tofino and Surfrider, will provide free gender-inclusive washroom signage to local businesses as well as resources to order personalized signage.
This webpage, as well as our business tool kit provides information and education surrounding gender inclusive bathrooms, its impacts and importance.
During this campaign an updated list of local businesses that swap the signs will be shared by both Coastal Queers and Tourism Tofino; this will become a roadmap of safety and support for both visiting and local queer people.

Coastal Queers will host a community sign and banner making event for community members to ask questions, create their own gender-neutral sign, pick up a toolkit, and show their support for swapping the signs.

See banner-making event info below!

Community Testimonials

“Having gender-inclusive washrooms is also beneficial for families. There was a point as a mom when my son was old enough to head off into a gendered washroom that I wasn’t welcome in, and I often felt uncomfortable knowing that he was in there without a parent or trusted adult. Gender-inclusive washrooms allow families to stay together in multi-stall public washrooms comfortably for longer.”

-Mom, Tofino

“Living in Tofino as a visibly gender non-conforming person, a business having a gender-inclusive washroom is the make or break of whether or not I will go there. I can’t safely use the ‘mens’ or ‘womens’ room as I feel out of place, stared at, and uncomfortable either way. There are restaurants I’ve never eaten at in town simply because they don’t have an inclusive washroom, and I don’t want to spend my money somewhere that I’m not even afforded the basic human right of having a washroom I can use. I wish more businesses in our region took the time to learn about how the simple action of swapping the signs can be so profound for increasing the safety of gender-queer customers.”

-Community member, Tofino

DISPROVING COMMON MYTHS

How else can I make my washroom inclusive?

Unfortunately, we are a long way from having washrooms that are truly accessible and inclusive for everyone. Washrooms are often discriminatory towards folks who use wheelchairs, folks who are blind or visually impaired, women, and of course, trans and gender-nonconforming folks. Many of the solutions for creating fully accessible, truly inclusive washrooms for all will require financial investment, education, updated legislation, and new infrastructure.

Let Swapping the Signs be your first step on the way to creating a more inclusive space - we don’t have to do something perfectly for it to be impactful and important.