(Los Angeles, California) It's a far cry from the deck of cards issued by the Pentagon to help track down Saddam Hussein and his henchmen but no less powerful.
Gavin Newsom is the 9 of spades, Margaret Cho is the 5 of hearts, and Barbra Streisand is the 4 of diamonds.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force unveiled the full deck of playing cards Tuesday saying it hopes the cards will help draw attention to same-sex marriage.
The images and words used on the cards offers a snapshot into some of the personalities and thoughts involved in the issue.
And, not all of the cards are as gay friendly as Cho and Newsom.
The Jokers are Jerry Falwell, adorned with Teletubbies, and President George Bush, depicted with a smug look on his face.
Other cards feature Howard Dean, the Queer Eye Fab Five, Michael Moore, and Madonna, along with detractors such as Rush Limbaugh and Rick Santorum.
The cards are the creation of In The Cards Design which approached the Task Force.
"The heart and diamond cards represent the love and strength of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and straight supporters," said In The Cards Marketing Director Alex von Rosenberg.
"Spades are often the strongest suit 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."
The full deck of cards will make its debut at Los Angeles Pride on June 19. The Task Force will reap a portion of the sales with the money to be used to support gay civil rights issues including marriage. The decks sell for $12 and will be available through the NGLTF at Pride events across the country or through its website.
www.ngltf.org
