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Outraged social media users demanded a boycott of Walgreens after the company declined to discipline a Wisconsin store clerk who refused to sell condoms to a couple citing religious grounds.
Nate Pentz posted a tweet saying that he and his partner, Jess, were at the checkout counter of a Walgreens location in the town of Hayward earlier this month.
When they tried to pay for a pack of condoms, they were shocked to learn that the cashier refused to complete the transaction.
“I won’t [sell them to you] because of my faith,” the cashier, whom Pentz identified as “John,” is said to have told them.
According to Pentz, Jess told John: “It’s none of your business.”
John is then said to have replied: “I can get a manager here, do you want me to finish checking out these things.”
“Not from you!” Jess told him.
“Thanks for the great customer experience,” Pentz tweeted. He then posted a screenshot of his customer complaint that he submitted to Walgreens.
The Post has reached out to Walgreens seeking comment.
Pentz’s original tweet is from July 3, but the post went viral in recent days, igniting widespread outrage on Twitter.
A spokesperson for Walgreens told NBC News that John’s actions did not violate company policy.
“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 spokesperson said.
“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.”
Furious Twitter users vowed to punish Walgreens.
“Hey @Walgreens, call it a boycott or whatever you want, but I’m not spending another dime at any of your stores until this policy is changed. Not one dime,” tweeted one angry Twitter user.
“Hard to believe in 2022 that @Walgreens is allowing their pharmacists to object to filling birth control refills or selling condoms, what the actual f–k?” tweeted another social media user.
“Guess it’s time to #BoycottWalgreens.”
The incident in Wisconsin is reminiscent of the 2012 incident involving a Colorado baker who refused to service a cake for a gay couple’s wedding reception.
When Colorado state officials ruled that the bakery illegally discriminated against the couple, owner Jack Phillips appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in his favor and reversed the state’s decision.
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