And Marriage For All
“And Marriage For All” playing cards promoting equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.
These cards were published in 2004 by the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce as part of the debate regarding equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. The pack is colourful and humorous and includes images of key supporters, politicians, and celebrities as well as opponents of equal rights for all citizens. The playing cards show 52 caricatures accompanied by quotes by or about the individual depicted on the card. See the box►
The heart and diamond cards represent the love and strength of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and straight supporters. Spades are considered the strongest suit in many card games and include politicians that have had the strength to stand with conviction for the rights of the LGBT community. Clubs are the weakest suit and include caricatures of equality opponents along with their frequently hypocritical views.
Several of those featured in the deck are still household names today: Michael Moore, Madonna, Whoopie Goldberg, Paul Newman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Antonio Banderas, Elton John, Martina Navratilova, Liza Minnelli, Ian McKellen, Barbara Streisand, Tom Hanks, etc. The detractors, such as Rush Limbaugh and Rick Santorum, have not fared so well. The Jokers are Jerry Falwell and President George W. Bush.
Above: “And Marriage For All” playing cards promoting equal marriage rights for same-sex couples published in 2004 by the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce.
By Peter Burnett
United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
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