Mastercard – Acceptance Street

World Pride 2019 | NYC

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Mastercard partnered with the NYC Human Rights Commission to send a powerful message of visibility and inclusion during World Pride Month.

At the iconic intersection of Christopher Street and Gay Street, we unveiled Acceptance Street—a reimagined street sign installation celebrating the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ identities. In addition to “Gay Street,” the updated signs proudly included Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Non-Binary, Pansexual, Two Spirit, and +.

Rather than producing art pieces, we wanted these to feel official. Our innovation team worked with the exact same manufacturer that produces New York City’s actual street signs—ensuring the materials, dimensions, and visual language matched real municipal signage. The result was both joyful and subversive—a civic intervention that turned city infrastructure into a platform for advocacy.

More than a stunt, Acceptance Street became a lasting symbol of Mastercard’s commitment to inclusion, extending the brand’s broader True Name campaign, which helps trans and nonbinary people use their chosen names on credit cards.