Folks, we need to step up and help one of our own. LGBTQ greeting card company Teazled, which was founded by a fantastic lesbian couple and is based right here in Las Vegas, is in a fight over intellectual property and copyright infringement with the megalith Hallmark. (Full disclosure: The couple go to my church.)

Teazled is not only an amazing little mom-and-mom company, but it represents a cultural shift and an acceptance of LGBTQ individuals. Because, as it turns out, Hallmark doesn’t always “have a card for that,” as the saying goes. But it’s time there were cards for all individuals and families! Enter: Teazled.

“We created Teazled to fill the need for greeting cards for the LGBT community,” Dina says on the video below.

So, it was not only a surprise, but painful to watch as Hallmark launched a “Tell Them” campaign this month. You see, Teazled’s tagline — which was copyrighted in 2011 — is that exact phrase: Tell Them. So far, a cease and desist order has been ignored. But just because they don’t want to acknowledge their wrong-doing, doesn’t make it right. And let’s face it, if the situation were reversed and a little start-up greeting card company was using copyrighted property of Hallmark, ignoring the situation would not be an option.

Want more reasons to support this cause?

• This is a locally owned company. How many times do we Las Vegans bitch that all we have are mass-corporate chain stores and no variety? Here’s your chance to support a business that is right here!
• Supporting Teazled supports local artists. They do all the art and writing here!
• An LGBTQ-owned business needs your help.
• This business is woman-owned.
• The owners are Christians who are active in their faith.
• You can stick it to the 1%!
• Your purchase of Teazled products and support benefit a small business!
• You can stick it to Hallmark, who maybe didn’t have the right card for you because of narrow, hetero-normative, sexist, [fill-in-the-blank] reasons.

Teazled is a special company owned by two really amazing women who started this company — their dream — with money they’d saved from hard work and their 401Ks. They contribute to the community and their church. They are raising their family here. And they work toward equality for all people. In short, these are good people. And they deserve our support.

So, here’s what you can do:

• Check out #TellHallmark and express your reasons for supporting Teazled and encouraging Hallmark to do the right thing.
• Follow Teazled on Facebook and Twitter.
• Post the following on your Facebook/Twitter feeds and on Hallmark’s feed: #TellHallmark trademark infringement is NOT a warm greeting.
• Most of all: BUY PRODUCTS FROM TEAZLED!

*Image used with permission from Teazled.