NO TO SAME SEX WEDDING INVITES
COMPANY REFUSED TO PRINT CARDS FOR ‘RELIGIOUS REASONS’
A local company has once again come under fire after refusing to print wedding invitations for a same sex marriage.
Drogheda firm Beulah Print refused to print invitations for Julieanne Grant after they realised she was gay citing their religious beliefs as the reason.
Julieanne Grant said she ‘ thought this country had moved on from that’ after she was told that the company would not print her wedding invitations because of their Christian beliefs.
This is the second time the Drogheda printing firm has caused a storm of controversy after refusing to print wedding invitations for a same sex couple.
The company came under fire last year when it refused an order for wedding invitations from Drogheda hairdresser Jonathon Brennan for his civil partnership ceremony.
Commenting on the incident last week, Julieanne said she initially ‘couldn’t stop smiling’ because she was ‘so excited’ going in to get her invitations printed but said once the person she spoke to relised she was gay, the mood changed dramaticially.
She told 4fm that as soon as she mentioned that her partner was a she ‘ his whole behaviour changed’.
‘He distanced himself from the conversation and he didn‘ t give me eye contact anymore,’ she said.
‘He stopped talking for a few seconds and then he still wouldn’t give me eye contact. Then he gathered himself and said: ‘I’m sorry Julieanne, I have my own beliefs. I’m a Christian man and I’m not able to do your invitations.’
Asked how she felt once she was told this, Julieanne said: ‘Of course I wasn’t smiling anymore. I actually wasn’t angry because I wanted to stay mature and I wanted to stay calm. There’s no point making a scene.
‘I respect everyone’s beliefs, but I really really felt that he should’ve kept it separate. Business is business, and he didn’t.’ she added.
Julieanne originally posted about her experience on her Facebook page and while she received lots of support, others questioned whether she knew the response she would receive given the media coverage the same printing company had received last year.
Julieanne said she had never heard any of the stories about the printers prior to visiting the shop last week.
‘All I can say is I would never have put myself through that, it was an awful experience. It was very upsetting and if I’d heard about it I certainly wouldn’t have given my energy and time to go there.
‘I was in the area and there were a few printers shops, that was the first one I went in to. I was expecting it to be a positive experience and it wasn’t,’ she said.
Peter Nugent, founder of the Drogheda LGBT group and Drogheda Pride said he was ‘disheartened’ to hear about the incident.
‘We’ve come so far in Drogheda and since we set up the group we have had great support from the local community for it and for the Pride Festival. This is 2016, it should be equality, peace and love,’ he said.
In a statement issued to the Drogheda Independent, the company said: ‘At Beulah Print we are happy to serve all members of the community, irrespective of religion, colour, sexual orientation, etc. However we cannot employ our creative ability to design and print materials which come into conflict with our Christian faith.’