Deck Review: Gay Tarot

Hey peeps! It's time for another deck review! This time I am reviewing the (1st Edition) of the Gay Tarot by Lee Bursten and artwork by Antonella Platano. This was published by Lo Scarabeo in 2003 and was remade into a new borderless edition so I won't include the typical criticism about multi-lingual borders that so many Lo Scarabeo decks have.

Cardstock: Typical mass-market cardstock from Lo Scarabeo: Thin, flimsy and with a matte finish.

The Little White Book: As far as I know, there isn't an official guidebook for this deck but it does come with an insightful Little White Book that shows one unique spread, as well as the changes to the Major Arcana and Court card names. It doesn't include reversals. So keep that in mind if you use reversals. It also has modernised meanings of the cards that reflect life as it is today (for the most part as this deck did come out in 2003).

Diversity: This deck is catered specifically toward Gay men. All of the people in the deck are gay men from various ages and races. Whilst it is inclusive in terms of race, it is not so much when it comes to men who are not slim or muscular. News flash! Not every gay man has a body that "societally attractive". The men who don't fit that category are either not found or only found fully clothed. Whereas, the slim and muscular men get to be depicted shirtless. So keep that in mind if this is something that matters to you.

Specific theme: LGBT+ but specifically gay men. 

In spite of a few nitpicks, I actually quite enjoy using this deck and can definitely see the Smith-Waite Tarot through the images of the cards whilst sticking to a theme of the lives of gay men. Many of the images do depict modern life (well, modern as it was in 2003) that one can relate to apart from a few whimsical exceptions. They are very intuitive and you can make good use of this deck for anyone, especially for your gay male clients.

On to you: What do you think of this deck? Do you like it? Do you use it often? Do you use it for specific types of readings? If so, which circumstances is the deck best used for in your opinion? Let me know in the comments below!