NYC Street Sign Adds Flurry of Questionable Sexual Orientations

Acceptance Street
Mastercard
Hannah Knudsen

New York City has added a street sign with a list of questionable sexual orientations, according to a picture posted by Chelsea Clinton Friday.

Clinton tweeted a picture of herself next to the new sign, writing, “LOVE our new #NYC street signs!”

A closer look shows a number of sexual orientations – orientations that go far beyond the basic lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) abbreviation.

The sign also features intersex, asexual, non-binary, pansexual, and two-spirit. Many on Twitter were confused.

“Three of those are sexualities, the rest are not,” one user wrote.

“Gonna run out of room real quick. New groups popping up every day!” another added.

Here is a quick guide to the lesser-known orientations featured on the sign:

Intersex: A broad term used to describe an individual who has sexual characteristics of both a male and female, whether it be sex organs, genitals, chromosomes, or hormones.

Asexual: A term used to describe individuals who are not attracted to males or females and have little to no interest in sexual behavior. According to “It’s Pronounced Metro Sexual’s” LGBTQ+’s guide, asexual individuals exist “on a continuum from people who experience no sexual attraction or have any desire for sex, to those who experience low levels, or sexual attraction only under specific conditions.”

Nonbinary: Nonbinary is another broad term used to describe individuals who refuse to fall into one category of sexual identity or attraction. “Genderfluid” is a more commonly associated term.

Pansexual: This term is used to describe individuals who experience sexual attraction and romantic feelings for individuals across what the left describes as the “gender spectrum.” They could experience attraction for a gay man, straight woman, transgender individual, or someone who is genderfluid.

Two Spirit: This is another general term purportedly used by Native American communities to “recognize individuals who possess qualities or fulfill roles of both feminine and masculine genders,” according to the comprehensive LGBTQ+ guide.

The label at the very bottom of the NYC’s street sign signifies some kind of partnership between Mastercard and the NYC Commission on Human Rights.

Mastercard went big with advertising for Pride Month, putting the new sign up June 17.  It even unveiled the “True Name” card, which allows nonbinary individuals to “obtain a debit, credit, or prepaid card with their preferred name on it.”

“Inclusion and acceptance are what we believe in as a company and promote within our company’s culture. We fully stand by this belief,” Cheryl Guerin, executive vice-president, North America marketing and communications, at Mastercard, said in a release. “As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, we want to remind everyone that inclusion and acceptance matter. We have made progress, but there is still work to do to ensure that everyone has a way to express their true selves. A day with 100% acceptance would truly be priceless.”

In 2016, the NYC Commission on Human Rights threatened to take action against businesses that failed to accommodate an individual’s sexual identity, of which there were 31 options. The Commission’s then-press secretary, Seth Hoy, released the following statement:

The Commission’s legal guidance on gender identity protections under the NYC Human Rights Law addresses situations in which individuals intentionally and repeatedly target transgender and gender non-conforming people. Accidentally misusing a transgender person’s preferred pronoun is not a violation of the law and will not result in a fine. The Commission issued this guidance last year so that employers and individuals understand what the law says and to ensure that every transgender individual in New York City is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Additionally, New York City began allowing parents to choose the third gender option – “X” – on their newborn’s birth certificate earlier this year. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) emphatically supported the change, arguing that “everyone deserves to live their truth.”

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