If you have ridden the New York City subway this month, you may have seen rainbow signs advertising Service Information. While the Metro Transit Authority is known for posting Service Information signage, this one is unlike any riders have ever seen.
“No bigotry, hatred, and prejudice at this station,” the sign reads.
Hung all over stations and in cars, the signs perfectly mimics the typical Service Information announcements that are posted all over the underground transportation systems to alert riders of upcoming construction, delays and more.
Equally Wed spoke with Thomas Shim, one of the creators of the Pride Train, via email, about his current project that is popping up in subway cars all over New York City. The campaign is organized by Shim, alongside Ezequiel Consoil and Jack Welles.
“It first hit us hard leading up to the day of pride month, when we realized that President Trump is probably going to never acknowledge it,” said Shim. “And of course, he didn’t. Pride month is not something that just happened last year. It’s been happening every year, and it’s just not right to ignore it. Recent reports of hate crimes both under and above ground’s been really heartbreaking. We want people to feel that when they see these posters, they understand that this is a safe space. The MTA is the darkest space in the city, and people need to understand that they can be as open as they are above ground, and they should feel safe. It is our small gesture of love for NYC.”
The Pride Train is not officially associated with the MTA, despite the use of the MTA logo and almost identical posters. Instead of being hung by MTA officials, the posters are instead hung by the creators and their family and friends.
“We haven’t received any pushback from the MTA. We really hope they don’t push back on us and understand and embrace what we’re trying to achieve through this project,” Shim shares.
Although the campaign has only been going since the start of Pride month on June 1, the response has been positive. Riders have been sharing photos on social media and spreading the word about love and pride.
“We’ll be putting the posters and car stickers throughout the month of June, and since pride has no expiration date, we’re also planning on doing more Pride Train projects beyond this month so please keep an eye out for more to come!”
Stay up-to-date with the Pride Train on Twitter at @PrideTrainNYC and Instagram at @PrideTrain.
