Muslim drivers assigned to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Ohio are refusing to drive cabs that advertise the region's upcoming Gay Games. They claim their refusal is due to religious reasons.

About 25 Muslim cab drivers which make up one-third of the airport's cabs, told two of three taxi companies that they will not longer participate in the airport's taxi program. The drivers told Ace and Yellow Taxi Cab that due to religious regions, they cannot operate the cabs withs ads supporting the Gay Games, Fox reports.

According to Gay Games spokeswoman Ann Gynn, this is an isolated incident and their protest does not reflect the beliefs of most residents in the area. The Gay Games are set for Aug. 9-16 in Cleveland and Akron.

"What we've been seeing for the last couple of years is a lot of positive support and a welcome atmosphere within the community," Gynn told Fox. "This was a decision by those individual cab drivers. It was a personal decision."

This year is the first time the Gay Games advertised on cabs and the ads were just released last week. The Gay Games are open to all adults, no matter what their orientation is.

"What's surprising is that the Gay Games are about inclusion," Gynn told Fox. "The Gay Games are open to everybody. This is about inclusiveness on sporting fields and welcoming people as they are."

Until the cab companies can hire replacement drivers, they will backfill the airport's fleet with metered vehicles. It is expected to take up to three weeks to hire new drivers.

"The airport is committed to providing this necessary customer service to our arriving passengers seeking transportation from the airport to their final destination," airport director Ricky Smith said according to Fox.

The third cab company, Americab said only two drivers refused to drive the cabs with the ads, but one eventually returned to work, Patricia Keenan told Fox. "He cited religious reasons," Keenan said. "I didn't foresee it being a problem ... We have no problem with the signage and [the protest] doesn't reflect the views of our company."

The Gay Games started in San Francisco in 1982 as an event in which anyone could partake in Olympic-type games. Even though it is inclusive, only 10 percent of the 9,000 annual participants are not of the LGBT community.