For 40 years, broadcaster Bernie Wagenblast had been the voice of New York City’s subway system — a deep yet friendly sound that directed millions of people around the city every day.
And after decades of this work as a man, she shared in 2023 that she was transitioning into womanhood.
At first, she didn’t mind using her assumptively male voice to continue working, but on Trans Day of Visibility in 2024, Wagenblast partnered with NYC’s Metro Transit Authority to launch a new campaign: “In Transit.”
The campaign included a limited podcast series, where Wagenblast discussed trans health, history, and resources.
Additionally, posters across subway stations directed folks to important locations in trans history across the city, with taglines like “trans visibility is now arriving,” and “the next stop is a more inclusive city.”
Perhaps most exciting of all, Wagenblast’s new, more feminized voice was used to record new announcements for the subway.
“I hope that through the work that we’re doing with this campaign, we will be able to raise visibility and increase respect for all different types of people,” she said in an Instagram video for the MTA.
Wagenblast is still the voice of the Subway today and continues to advocate for her trans siblings. She was the announcer at Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration, and she was just named the 2026 grand marshal of N.Y.C. Pride.
But navigating a voice change isn’t just for trans figures in public life; it’s a form of gender-affirming care for trans and non-binary folks everywhere.
Akin to other types of gender-affirming care, such as laser hair removal, surgeries, and hormone replacement therapy, voice coaching can cost a pretty penny. Working with speech and language pathologists and other professionals may be covered by some insurance plans, but there is still a major gap in folks accessing this kind of support.
That’s why Jess Gibbard, a trans SLP-in-training offers both free and paid voice coaching to trans clientele. She’s based in Victoria, British Columbia but conducts her work with folks around the globe through digital sessions.
Gibbard is able to toe the fine line of this work with people at any stage in their transition, using visual cues and ongoing coaching to help someone feel confident in their new voice.
“It’s really important for trans people like myself to find a voice that feels more comfortable, that doesn’t put us at risk out in public, and to be able to pass more like the person we want to be,” Gibbard told Chek News, a local outlet in Victoria.
Her business, TransVoiceCoach.com, offers paid voice lessons, but will take on some volunteer work or discounted sessions because of the increasing demand for voice coaching in the trans community.
“It’s such an integral, vital aspect of who we are as [people],” she told Chek News. “Having the voice that is your voice, it’s an unparalleled feeling, and it feels really nice being able to make a difference like this.”
A version of this article was originally published in The 2024 Pride Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
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