This June, there will undoubtedly be a lot of Pride merchandise available from big box retailers, some of whom will then turn around the following month and make donations to anti-LGBTQIA+ politicians. You could carefully comb through the lists to make an informed buying decision (and indeed, you should), or you can cut straight to supporting the community itself and purchase a deck of Pride-themed cards.
I’ve been enjoying watching this project come to life on Tumblr (you can find them at prideknights.tumblr.com … seriously, go look at the art and all their inspiration references!) and appreciating the absolute heart and soul that have been going into it. While you might expect beautiful art for the major cards, you might be surprised to learn about the attention to detail that even the overlooked number cards are receiving! The art is so beautiful, even here, that there are plans to make full sheets available for purchase so that you can see the numbers laid out as part of a larger piece of art.
The plan is to print the cards with a linen finish and stamp them with silver. There are also talks of a rainbow version being made available. While anyone who has looked into getting custom cards made (read: tarot addicts) will know the process can be fairly expensive, the creators of this deck have said they’re striving to make it affordable. Current estimates are that the silver stamped decks will be $16 each, while the rainbow decks will be $20.
Featured as an extra card in the deck and on the back of the boxes is a poem by Erika Acosta, which reads:
We are the Pride Knights, and this is our battle cry
No enemy can shake us, as hard as they can try
There’s a fire in our eyes that no hatred can kill
A passion in our hearts that’s as strong as our will
To our fellow queers who fight their battles on their own
We promise to fight with you, you are never alone
To our fellow queers who have fallen with the pain
We thank you for your courage, your fight is not in vain
We are defenders of the right to be proud of who you are
To love who you love and accept every scar
We are your knights, protectors of our pride
Together we stand, together we ride
From their Tumblr page: “Preorders for the playing cards, art prints, and uncut sheets will be available from June 1st to June 30th!”
[Written by Ashley Nicole Hunter.]
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