Former Green Bay Packers star Leroy Butler says a church cancelled a speaking engagement for him because he Tweeted support for gay NBA player Jason Collins.
WITI reports Butler, a Hall of Fame inductee and former strong safety, was scheduled to speak at a Wisconsin church but the pastor abruptly cancelled the engagement after Butler tweeted support for Collins.
Collins became the first active openly-gay male athlete in the four major professional American team sports.
Butler tweeted “Congrats to Jason Collins” on Monday, April 29.
The next day, he tweeted the church cancelled the scheduled speech, for which Butler would have been paid $8,500. When he asked why, Butler tweeted he was told his online support for Collins violated the morals clause in the contract for the engagement.
Butler said the pastor told him he could only appear if took down the tweet, apologized and asked God for forgiveness, but Butler declined.
Butler also did not identify the church.
May 1, Butler tweeted “I have received an apology from the church, but mainly thanking me for not releasing the church name.”
