A Kentucky commission has announced its support of a gay and lesbian group suing a T-shirt company owned by a Christian man who declined to print the group’s shirts because the message, he said, violates his faith.
Blaine Adamson, who owns Hands On Originals (HOO) in Lexington, Ky., refused to print T-shirts for the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization (GLSO) in early March, because he disagreed with the “gay pride” message the group wanted printed on the shirts.
“I want the truth to come out — it’s not that we have a sign on the front door that says, ‘No Gays Allowed,’” Adamson said in a video posted on ADF’s website. “We’ll work with anybody. But if there’s a specific message that conflicts with my convictions, then I can’t promote that.”
The text on the shirts would have read: “Lexington Gay Pride,” and would include a list of sponsors of the event on the back of the shirt.
Adamson offered to direct GLSO to another business that could produce the shirts for the same price.
Instead, GLSO filed a complaint on March 28 against HOO with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission claiming that HOO violated a local ordinance based on sexual orientation.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys filed a response to GLSO’s complaint in April stating its claim of discrimination is unfounded, and that the complaint should be dismissed.
Commission Opposes T-Shirt Company’s Refusal To Print Gay Pride Message
December 3, 2012 at 9:00 am
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