US: Church cancels former NFL player’s speech over congratulatory tweet to Jason Collins
A former NFL player and Super Bowl Champion, has had a speaking appearance cancelled by a church over a congratulatory tweet he sent to recently out NBA star, Jason Collins.
Jason Collins on Monday spoke about his sexuality, confirming he is gayĀ in an article in Sports IllustratedĀ magazine.Ā He said:Ā āIām a 34-year-old NBA center. Iām black. And Iām gay.
LeRoy Butler, former NFL player, who now runs a foundation fighting breast cancer, tweeted Jason Collins on the announcement that he was coming out to say:Ā āCongrats to Jason Collins,” reports RawStory.
The champion of Super Bowl XXXI, then tweeted late on Tuesday to say that he had been scheduled to speak at an undisclosed church in the US state of Wisconsin, but that it had cancelled when it saw his tweet to Collins.
He said: āWow, I was schedule [sic] to speak at a church in WI, and a member said that the pastor wants to cancel my event, I said ok why?,āĀ he wrote.
āThen I was told, because I said congrats to Jason Collins on twitter, I said really? we have a contract, he said check the moral [clause].ā
He went on to say that he had been offered $8,500 (Ā£5,500) to speak at the church, and that he was offered the chance to still appear there if he retracted his congratulations.
He said: āI was told if i removed the tweet, and apologize and ask god forgiveness, I can have the event, I said no.ā
āOnly God can judge,āĀ he concluded in a final tweet.
Collins has received thousands of messages of support, including fromĀ President Barack Obama, andĀ First Lady Michelle Obama, formerĀ President Bill Clinton,Ā his teammates, coaches, theĀ CommissionerĀ of the NBA, and countless others.