Companies
Capabilities
AREA 23 launched “In Transit” to raise awareness around International Transgender Day of Visibility. The campaign was inspired by Bernie Wagenblast, the voice of the New York subway, who came out as transgender in 2022.
In cooperation with the MTA, AREA 23 recorded a new announcement for the subway system in Bernie’s new voice, along with a personal message promoting transgender acceptance. An installation featured posters in the Christopher Street station, a location with deep significance to the community, that raised awareness of Transgender Day of Visibility and drove riders to listen to a podcast mini-series, “In Transit,” hosted by Wagenblast. Each episode was the length of a typical subway ride and highlighted educational content related to the transgender community, including gender identity and inclusive language. Additionally, the campaign led to the unveiling of a new fictional transit line in which every stop represented a real-life landmark of the trans movement in New York City.
The campaign was created with support from NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, an award-winning cultural heritage initiative, and Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, a global leader in LGBTQ+ health.
