Former Green Bay Packer LeRoy Butler says he was uninvited from delivering a speech at a Wisconsin church this week because he tweeted favorably about NBA player Jason Collins coming out as gay.
Collins, a free agent who ended the 2012-13 season with the Washington Wizards, came out on April 29.
Butler responded on Twitter, “Congrats to Jason Collins.”
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Now the former Green Bay safety is tweeting about a church canceling an $8,500 speaking engagement.
In a series of posts late Tuesday, Butler said:
Wow, I was schedule to speak at a church in WI, and a member said that the pastor wants to cancel my event, I said ok why?
— leroy butler (@leap36) May 1, 2013
Then I was told, because I said congrats to Jason Collins on twitter, I said really? we have a contract, he said check the moral cause,
— leroy butler (@leap36) May 1, 2013
FYI the fee was 8500$,then I was told if i removed the tweet, and apologize and ask god forgiveness, I can have the event, I said no,
— leroy butler (@leap36) May 1, 2013
Only god can judge,
— leroy butler (@leap36) May 1, 2013
Butler, who was with the Packers from 1990-2001 and is said to have created the “Lambeau Leap,” did not identify the church in his tweets. He played college ball at Florida State University.
Update:
Butler has since tweeted that “some parents went to the church and complained” about his tweet supporting Jason Collins. He said he has received an apology from the church, but mainly for thanking him for not releasing the church’s name.
He said his speech was to be about his life story and bullying, based on his book “The LeRoy Butler Story.”
