Printing co. apologizes for Georgia franchise that won’t make invites for lesbian wedding

A printing company has apologized for the owner of its franchise in Suwanee, Georgia, who refused to print wedding invitations for a lesbian couple, WXIA reports.

Alan Akins, the owner of a local Alpha Graphics franchise, told the couple the he could not do the job because his religious beliefs did not allow him to support same sex marriage. “I kept asking him how, why, how he could do this? He just basically stood on his religious beliefs, referenced the Bible, called it a sin, and I was basically in tears saying how could you treat me this way?,” recalled Paige Beckwith, one of the brides.

Beckwith said she had been open with vendors that this would be a same-sex wedding throughout the wedding planning process, and she had never encountered any other vendor who refused to provide services.

Akins told WXIA that he would be happy to provide the couple services for other occasions, but the wedding was off limits for him. He also said that this was not the first time he declined a print job because of his religious beliefs.

Beckwith has since complained to the main office of the Suwanee Alpha Graphics franchise, and the company has apologized and offered to design and print their invitations at no charge.

more
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/04/printing-company-apologizes-for-georgia-franchise-that-wont-make-invites-for-lesbian-wedding/