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Gay / Really straight Republican hypocrites

Published January 27, 2024 Updated January 27, 2024

Gay / Really straight Republican hypocrites, USA, 2008

2008 USA Twankie LLC Political

Published by Twankie LLC, Austin, Texas (a part of Parody Cards), this pack was created “to shine a light on the seedy corners” of the Republican party. The unnamed author argues that the political figures shown in this pack seek to create an anti-gay environment in the country while at the same time they (allegedly) act on their social desires, often in secrecy and in public restrooms because of the very same anti-gay sentiment which they promote. Thirteen Republican politicians are shown on the same card in each suit, beneath which is either a quotation explaining/describing their views and activities, or extracts from press and media reports about their activities. There are two jokers featuring press headlines from the Washington Times and the Associated Press and an extra card listing some “not-so-straight” poker hands. See the box

“Gay / Really straight Republican hypocrites” playing cards published by Twankie LLC, Austin, Texas, 2008 “Gay / Really straight Republican hypocrites” playing cards published by Twankie LLC, Austin, Texas, 2008 “Gay / Really straight Republican hypocrites” playing cards published by Twankie LLC, Austin, Texas, 2008

Above: “Gay / Really straight Republican hypocrites” playing cards published by Twankie LLC, Austin, Texas (a part of Parody Cards), 2008.

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By Peter Burnett

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.

Russian Playing Cards

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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