Pharmacy Employee Refuses To Sell Condoms To Customer Because It Was Against Their Religion
Topics: US News
Stewart Perrie
Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: US News
A cashier in the United States has refused to sell condoms to a woman because of their faith.
A woman went into a Walgreens in Wisconsin and wanted to buy the birth control option.
However, she was shocked when the employee said they weren't able to complete the sale as it was against their religion.
The woman told the cashier their faith had no relevance to her wanting to buy something and her reproductive choices were 'none of their business'.
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The employee said they would be happy to get a manager in to help.
We went to Hayward to get some groceries and a stop at @Walgreens because we had left Jess birth control at home. As Jess was checking out, cashier John told her he couldn’t sell her the condoms. “Oh I got them from over there.”
— Nate Pentz (@natepentz) July 3, 2022
“We can, but I won’t because of my faith.” 1/x
The woman's boyfriend took to Twitter to express their horror at the incident and the tweet went viral.
People have been questioning how far this type of policy could be stretched.
One user said: "So if a checker doesn’t drink and you buy alcohol does he refuse to check you out? Or a non-smoker working in a 7-11 selling cigarettes? If you take a job that you KNOW sells items against your religion and you refuse to do that job, you need to find another job. End of story."
Another person questioned: "Can I refuse to sell you a gun or ammo as a cashier in a gun store because my faith doesn’t allow me to sell weapons and I’m a pacifist?"
Many people couldn't believe someone would be able to exercise their religious freedom over someone's want to buy something.
In the wake of the incident, Walgreens has stood by the staffer's choice not to sell condoms to a customer.
The company said in a statement to NBC: "Our policies are designed to ensure we meet the needs of our patients and customers while respecting the religious and moral beliefs of our team members.
"The instances are rare, however when a team member has a moral or religious conviction about completing a transaction, they are required to refer the customer to another employee or manager on duty who will complete the transaction, which is what occurred in this instance."
A social media hashtag has been started titled #BoycottWalgreens, with many people saying they would refuse to shop there over the policy.
Occupy Democrats said on Twitter: "Walgreens is hit with a wave of boycotts after it's revealed that employees are permitted to refuse the sale of condoms and emergency contraceptives to customers because of 'moral objections', meaning religious bigotry."