Israeli spins playing cards for gender equality

‘All genders are equal, so why is the Queen worth less? And what about the Jack, where’s the princess?’

An Israeli teen by the name of Maayan, purportedly from Tel Aviv, has earned over $285,000 through her Indiegogo crowdfunding project, in which she updated the classic deck of playing cards to literally stack the deck in favor of gender equality. Her initial goal was to raise $10,000. Queeng Playing Cards, in lieu of Kings, Queens and Jacks as used in normal playing card decks, uses Monarchs, Duchesses and Dukes as well as Prince and Princesses and even a female Joker, so that the high cards in the deck’s hierarchy could be both male and female.

Maayan says that she came up with the project while vacationing with her family. She recalls asking her father while playing a game, “Why is the King always worth more than the Queen?”

“All genders are equal, so why is the Queen worth less? And what about the Jack? Where’s the princess?”

He didn’t have a good answer, she said, and encouraged her to find a solution to solving the thought-provoking disparagings between genders in the classic card deck.

“Aside from making a wise statement about equality and how far we’ve come, my father realized it would be a GREAT opportunity to teach me about business challenges, product design and marketing. By working with him, we got the chance to bond on an entirely different level,” Maayan wrote on her Indiegogo project page. “Since my dad is the CEO of a media company, he has a pretty good sense of what a product launch involves. But he totally encouraged me to take the lead. I had the freedom and authority to call the shots – and make mistakes – on my own.”

The Queeng Playing Cards, while differing from classic decks in terms of card hierarchy, use the same principles allowing any classic card game to be played with the set.

“I have created the first fair and equal deck of cards: same players, same point system and full equality,” Maayan said. “I call it Queeng,” a mash-up of the words King and Queen.

She added that the project gave her some real “hands-on entrepreneurial experience” and, as her father put it, becoming “’closer to the real world’ – by learning about things like trial and error, time management and patience.”

“Not only is this a cool new way to play all your card games, but you’ll also be a part of celebrating real-world change, while supporting a kick-ass example of young entrepreneurship,” Maayan concluded. “Once we reach our goal, you’ll literally have helped adapt a game we’ve known and loved for HUNDREDS of years to our generation. Playing cards will finally be suited for our time, mindset and society!”

“Let’s be honest: Playing cards were made hundreds of years ago, and they don’t make sense anymore today,” Maayan said. “We even have ruling female monarchs! I dare you to tell Queen Elizabeth she is worth less than the Kings before her.”