A photographer compared a lesbian couple in Gwinnett to murderers and thieves, and called them sinners before refusing to shoot their wedding – a job he was already paid to do.
Anna Wiley told WSB that after Pascual Thedford agreed to shoot their upcoming wedding, she and her fiance paid him an additional fee to produce a video of their wedding shower on May 14. Thedford arrived at the event earlier his month – held at the lesbian-owned Soul Bar at Pals Lounge on Auburn Avenue – shook hands with the couple and recorded interviews with family and friends, Wiley said.
“From there, he said it was good and he left,” Wiley told WSB.
It wasn't until the next morning that Thedford aired his grievances with same-sex marriage and all things gay. He had a come to Jesus meeting with himself and his anti-LGBT views, and sent the couple a hateful email. He canceled plans to work the couple's wedding and offered his spin on Christianity, sin and what the Bible says about homosexuality.
“As a Christian, I'm convinced of the Bible's position about homosexuality, same-sex relationships, LGBT relationships, and heterosexual sins,” Thedford wrote before dismissing gay Christians “as not something the Bible allows for.”
And then he dug in his heels, quoted Bible passages and compared Wiley and her bride to murderers and thieves who would incur the wrath of his God.
“So for my role in your wedding, I think it akin to a wedding where murderers celebrate their lifestyle as murderers. I'm not saying you and murders are one in the same. But the point I'm trying to make is that I can't participate in business ventures and situations where people identify with and celebrate sin. Just like it thieves got engaged, I wouldn't be okay with a wedding celebrating the love that two thieves have. When any couple gets married that are two sinners getting married. So my argument is not for people to be perfect to be married. But the nature of your union directly violates the way God intended sex and marriage to operate. So as a photographer/videographer, I have a responsibility to answer to God for the media I create. I have turned down jobs for strip clubs, porn video shoots, lingerie football and many other things that violate my belief system as a Christian. I would caution you to examine the fact that homosexuality is listed among the acts it's listed among. It says a lot about God's heart and design for sex and marriage. God is so serious about His amazing creation of sex and marriage that those that violate that as a lifestyle won't inherit heaven, but will incur His wrath and judgement.”
Wiley told WSB that she was shocked by Thedford's email.
“I'm just trying to get married, marry the person that I love and it just happens to be a woman,” Wiley told the news outlet.
When Thedford isn't shooting photos of non-gay weddings, he's evangelizing students at the Atlanta University Center in his role as campus director for Campus Outreach Atlanta.
Thedford declined to discuss the incident with WSB. Wiley said Thedford has refunded what they paid for his services but has not provided the video footage he shot of the wedding shower.
“To say that you can't do it is one thing, I would be upset but to add all this on and quoting scriptures and because I'm Christian, it was uncalled for. It was unnecessary. Too much,” Wiley told WSB.
The couple's wedding is set for July 9.
