I was hoping to start a discussion on this in fact. It's a very interesting topic. On the other hand it's a very controversial one so one thing before my actual post: if in the following, I don't share your opinion it doesn't mean I don't respect it. On the contrary, I'm very grateful for your thought provoking input. I had to think about my answer longer than I thought ... and with it about my own gender identity.
I can see that; it is good to have decks with balance between the genders. But what you are talking about, the way you are talking about it, is still reinforcing the gender binary. When you talk about "each sex" as if there are only two. Or when you say giving "both sexes" an opportunity. That misses the point of having a non-binary deck where there is an acknowledgement and celebration of people whose gender is more fluid than that.
But are we talking about gender or sex here? The existence of trans- and inter persons doesn't extinguish the biological fact that most people belong to one of the biological sexes. Even though I'm aware that it's more complicated than that on the genetical level as well.
I think we humans have the tendency to categorize things. That some of us can give birth to other human beings and some not is one of the most obvious starting points for categorization. And without it, we wouldn't have our archetypes.
The Golden Dawn teachings I am aware of say that gender is everywhere in the universe. And that it is a mere symbol that makes it easy for us to understand more refined concepts of the universe, a bit like yin and yang.
Take the Empress for example. Her archetype clearly refers to biological functions of women as mothers. Giving birth, being fertile and nurturing. Now if a "female" card like this shows up for me as a man it is pushing me to think about these concepts in my own identity. I think if taken seriously, these old fashioned, dual archetypes can in fact challenge our gender identity as well!
I would say, if you can't see yourself in this deck enough to be able to choose a court card, then it probably isn't meant for you. Which is fine! I don't think it's trying to be all things to all people, especially cis people.
It doesn't need to be everything ... but having a whole suit of courts male and one female is very counter-inclusive to my eyes. Especially since most of these people, although very androgynous in fact, are pretty clearly identified as male or female. But that could also be my individual perception.
One of my favorite books is the Wraeththu collection by Storm Constantine. It's about a race of hermaphrodites which spring from male humans. As the story and Wraeththu culture develops, they are more and more characterized in traditionally female ways. One and the same character has both sides to him during the same story! That's truly gender-fluid and I wish to see a deck that would realize this idea.
This deck, I think, doesn't go to that extreme and I haven't seen any else that does. And now I'm going a bit of topic. I thought about the whys and it could get confusing maybe [emoji28]. I hope it makes at least some sense in other people's heads as well.
A lot of decks stop at "occupying" male archetypes with female figures but in most cases not vice versa, like the Starchild Tarot or the Margarete Petersen or even the Silicon Dawn (all great decks). I think that is due to women having to redefine their role in society constantly. (Cis and straight) men don't have to fight for their place in society or rethink their identity. I still haven't seen a male Empress and this deck doesn't show one either, while easily switching the Emperor to female. The male and tender figure of strength is more close to redefining male identity. Which is something I wish to see in queer decks, but as you correctly said, might not be the creator's intention.
Thinking about it more closely, I experience this struggle with male identity myself. I can easily see what identifies me as gay man, but I struggle with seeing what makes me "just a man" besides biology. There are more and more thoughts running through my head concerning this but for now it's enough rambling ...