Again Off was launched by mother and son Luciana and Nicholas Cousin. Again Away. (BOBU) in 2021 in a bid to provide verified safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community. (Thomas Eames @blendedtom)
A mother and son who created an app to help LGBTQ+ people find safe locations say they hope the platform will be a resource for “all their health requirements” for the LGBTQ+ community.
Again Off is the name of Luciana and Nicholas Cousin’s software. Again Up. (BOBU) in 2021 after some of their friends were attacked.
BOBU, which covers Brighton, London, and, most recently, Kendal in Cumbria, provides a system showing the nearest safe place, such as a bar or restaurant, where people of the LGBTQ+ group can seek shelter and support.
“It became apparent there was nowhere to go once you’ve been attacked,” Luciana tells PinkNews.
Their friends were too afraid to ask for help elsewhere, not knowing how they would be treated, she adds after being attacked in one venue.
“We thought: what if we had a sticker that would announce] where] LGBTQ+ people could get help”?
The app’s release came in the wake of rising reports that hate crimes against trans people had increased by 186 percent over the past five years and by 112 percent based on sexual orientation, according to a study last year.
A place to trust
Through a training program where all signed-up venues take part, BOBU emphasizes physical and emotional safety. A sexual health section of the app allows users to rate their level of safety at each participating location and lists all the places where they can be tested in secret.
According to Nicholas, the mother-son duo want BOBU to become “a place where queer people can trust that they’re going to get all their safety needs met.” He claims that he has also been threatened with violence.
“It all began as a straightforward initiative, with a window sticker on it, and with requests for assistance from organizations like those that would charge people’s phones. But as we] spoke] to people,] we saw] the need for diversity and inclusivity training.
Members of the trans community have also been asking if we can list places for wellness or haircuts.
The feedback they’ve received means the app is always expanding, improving, and looking for new businesses to sign up, with their most recent plan being to include care homes.
According to Luciana,” The idea is to have the app everywhere in Europe so that LGBTQ+ people are safe wherever they go.”
The pair also run a community-interest company called, which lists workshops, events, and meet-ups for the LGBTQ+ community in the Brighton area.
Venues interested in signing up for BOBU can do so.
