2008-09-15 17:19:28 - Online greeting card retailer Order of St. Nick (http://www.orderofstnick.com) has unveiled its first line of Christmas and holiday cards for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transsexuals.

The cards are sold online at www.gay-christmas-cards.com and www.orderofstnick.com in packs of 10 for $18.99. Single cards are also available for $3.99 each.

'Hallmark recently unveiled a line of gay marriage cards, and that's a step in the right direction for mainstream card companies. However, Hallmark has yet to combine homosexuality and the holidays' explains business owner and graphic designer Andrew Shaffer, who operates online under the nom de plume 'St. Andrew.'

The first series of eight greeting cards features original artwork by Shaffer. The cards feature such gay iconography as rainbows and pink triangles and cheeky phrases such as 'Don We Now Our Gay Apparel' and 'Merry Kissmas' (for a card with two lesbians locked in a passionate embrace). Shaffer has

more releases planned for October and November, as the holiday card-giving season draws nearer.

Order of St. Nick is an online store specializing in alternative holiday cards and gifts. Order of St. Nick serves a diverse customer base, including atheists, agnostics, heathens, skeptics, wiccans, pagans, punks, goths, and many others who are neglected by mainstream greeting card companies. All orders are fulfilled by Cafepress.com. Order of St. Nick is a for-profit, privately-owned small business headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa.