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Former NFL Player LeRoy Butler Provides Details on Anti-Gay Pastor

Former Green Bay Packer LeRoy Butler revealed that he was fired from a church speaking engagement because he tweeted a congratulatory message to openly gay NBA player Jason Collins.

Butler spoke with Outsports about the incident. "That pastor was talking to me like I was the devil," said Butler. "Sometimes religious people think they’re better than everybody else and that bothers me."

"He started giving me all these scriptures about God looking down on gay people. I said, ‘Look, if you want to believe that, this is me coming to tell my story to these kids.' There’s only one thing my mom told me. Only God judges, not you. You can pick and choose what you want from the Bible but don’t tell me about it."

"It really bothered me that he was quoting all of these scriptures to make me feel bad. I said, ‘No, I stand as a man for the little kids who are hiding somewhere and need someone to speak for them.’ I went to church every Sunday growing up. And I love everybody. We may agree to disagree, and the church says one thing, and we can agree to disagree. But man, that pastor was talking to me like I was the devil."

On his willingness to play with a gay teammate:

"NFL players have told me they won’t play with a gay player. But if the top quarterback of the next 10 years comes out in his prime, you’re gonna accept it because he can throw for 4,500 yards and take you to the Super Bowl. If he can’t play, that’s one thing. But if he can play, you don’t care."

LeRoy Butler said that he was scheduled to give an "anti-bullying presentation" to the church. Butler will not identify the church or pastor but the noted the irony to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "If you ask for forgiveness and remove the tweet and you say something to the effect that you don't congratulate (Collins) then we'll let you do the engagement and get the speaker's fee," the anti-gay pastor told him.

Delete the tweet, ask for forgiveness, condemn the gay guy ... and then you can get paid, my brotha! Hallelujah!

LeRoy Butler played his entire 11-season NFL career with the Green Bay Packers from 1990–2001. He was four times All-Pro, four times Pro Bowl and was a key player on the Packers' Super Bowl XXXI championship.

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Former Green Bay Packers All-Pro safety LeRoy Butler tweeted his congratulations to NBA player Jason Collins for publicly revealing that he is gay. And now: A Wisconsin church has cancelled Butler's paid speaking appearance.

Butler was scheduled to give an "anti-bullying presentation" and notes the irony to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Butler was told by church officials that they would cancel the presentation unless he removed the tweet, apologized and asked God's forgiveness. "This is what bothers me the most. They said, 'If you ask for forgiveness and remove the tweet and you say something to the effect that you don't congratulate (Collins) then we'll let you do the engagement and get the speaker's fee, and I said I'm not doing that," Butler said Wednesday.

"This is a man's personal story. I've always been on the record saying if there was a gay person in the Packer locker room, I would have played with them. All I care about is if you can run and jump, and can you win Super Bowls," Butler said.

Butler says the speaking fee was $8500 and that local sponsors "usually help the church raise money to cover his fee."

LeRoy Butler played his entire 11-season NFL career with the Green Bay Packers from 1990–2001. He was four times All-Pro, four times Pro Bowl and was a key player on the Packers' Super Bowl XXXI championship.

"Delete the tweet, ask for forgiveness, condemn the gay ball player .. and we give you the money!" Something tells me that is not very WWJD.

MILWAUKEE: Trial Dates for 5 Men Accused in Murder of Evon Young

There are new developments in the tragic case of Evon "YungLT" Young, the 22-year-old transgender man who was an emerging local rapper and songwriter. Young was tortured and killed on January 1. Five men have been arrested and charged.

Trial dates have been set "for June and July in the case being prosecuted by the Milwaukee District Attorney's office," reports the Wisconsin Gazette. "First-degree homicide charges [have been filed] against Victor Stewart, 27; Ashanti Mcalister, 19; Billy R. Griffin, 26; Ron Joseph Allen, 37; and Devin L. Seaberry, 23."

Investigators believe Young's remains were transported to a landfill site in Menomonee Falls. The search was discontinued in mid-February, reports ABC 12.

Police said detectives, landfill workers, a local excavating company and dog handlers conducted an exhaustive search under "challenging circumstances," but remains were not found. Investigators have found other physical evidence to support the charges issued by the district attorney's office, police said.

Young's mother, Annette Perry, told 12 News she just wanted her child back. "It is my right as his mother to have him back. I don't care how. I just want him back," said Perry.

Family and friends refused to give up hope on finding Young's body. "We want the love and emotion from his family and see that he has supporters and people do care about him outside of those who knew him in his immediate family," said Tony Reese Jr., Young's former music manager.

Police believe that Young was killed as part of a brutal gang initiation. The "altercation stemmed from a vendetta Griffin had with [Young] and escalated into the group beating and then shooting Young."

Memorial services were held two weeks ago, reports NBC 4.

A music video dropped for YungLT's track "Room Full" in late November. Ironically, one of the murder suspects can be seen standing next to Young in the video. Watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

MILWAUKEE: Search Continues for Evon Young's Remains

Today is Day 7 of the police search for the remains of Evon "YungLT" Young at a landfill near Milwaukee. The 22-year-old transgender man was an emerging local rapper and songwriter. Young was tortured and killed on January 2. Five men are charged with first-degree murder.

"Cadaver dogs have become an integral part of the search" at the landfill,  reports WISN. The search may be complicated by today's snowfall in the Milwaukee-Chicago area.

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MILWAUKEE: 5 Charged in Evon Young's Murder Held for Trial

The five men charged with the murder of Evon "YungLT" Young have been ordered to stand trial in Milwaukee, reports WISN and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The 22-year-old transgender man was an emerging local rapper and songwriter. Young was tortured and killed on January 2. Detectives continue to search a landfill for Young's remains.

The five men are charged with first-degree intentional homicide. Police say there are differing accounts of the motive. The "altercation stemmed from a vendetta Griffin had with his roommate, but the detective said it escalated into the group beating and then shooting Young," reports WISN.

More details from yesterday's hearing at the Journal Sentinel. Warning: The details are graphic.

[Victor] Stewart claimed a beef had been simmering since a [house burglary] in August. According to the criminal complaint, the group accused Young of assisting in that burglary. ... [Detective Timothy Graham said] Ashanti Mcalister was holding a .22 caliber handgun and then struck Young twice in the face with the gun.

The group then took Young to the basement. Stewart told Graham that Young went willingly because he didn't believe he was going to be killed. But after Allen tried to suffocate him with a plastic bag, Young began fighting back. He was thrown to the floor. Then Allen, straddling the victim's back, took a three-foot length of chain that was in the basement, wrapped an end around both his hands and used the rest to strangle Young.

At some point, Stewart said, Mcalister shot Young three times and later disposed of his body in a trash bin, which Allen returned to later and set on fire.

Police believe the dumpster was removed on January 7 or 8 and taken to the Waste Management landfill site in Menomonee Falls. Three weeks after the body was disposed, the very difficult search for Young's remains began on Monday. Today is Day 4. Investigators are focusing on an area 200 feet by 200 feet—and 15 feet deep—of compacted trash.

A Facebook memorial "In Memory of Yung LT aka Evon Young" has been created.

Will they ever find Evon Young's remains? And will we ever learn why he was killed?

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MILWAUKEE: Vigil for Evon Young, Landfill Search Continues

There are several updates from Milwaukee on the horrific and tragic case of Evon "Yung LT" Young. The 22-year-old transgender man was an emerging local rapper and songwriter. Young was tortured and killed on New Year's Day. Five men have been arrested and charged.

A vigil was held last night for Young, reports WISN.

The murder suspects' first court hearing will be tomorrow, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "[They] are scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing. All face counts of first-degree intentional homicide as parties to a crime."

Police believe that Young was killed as part of a brutal gang initiation. The suspects allegedly tossed Young's body in a dumpster as if he were common trash. Three weeks after the body was disposed, the very difficult search for Young's remains began on Monday at the Waste Management landfill site in Menomonee Falls, reports the Journal Sentinel. Today is Day Three. 

According to the criminal complaint, some confessed that the victim's body was wrapped in a sheet, put in an apartment complex trash bin and set on fire. But by the time police knew this, the bin had been emptied, sometime around Jan. 8, Milwaukee police Lt. Kenneth Grams said.

The city emptied the bin and the contents were trucked to a transfer station at Industrial Drive, where Waste Management picked it up and deposited it at the company's sprawling landfill.

But the company's records allowed investigators to focus on one area of the landfill that was receiving waste at the time, Grams said, and so when the search began Monday it was focused on an area 200 feet by 200 feet - and 15 feet deep - of compacted trash.

Milwaukee's FOX 6 produced a thoughtful report on Young's murder and the painstaking search for remains. Watch it AFTER THE JUMP ...

5 Arrests in Milwaukee After Brutal Murder of Trans Rapper "Yung LT"

PHOTO: FORGE

This story is horrific and heartbreaking on so many levels. Five men in Milwaukee have been arrested and are charged in connection with the gruesome murder of Evon "Yung LT" Young on New Year's Day. The suspects allegedly tossed the trans man's body in a dumpster as if he were common trash ... and three weeks later "authorities are [still] searching a landfill" for the remains, reports FOX 6.

The 22-year-old transgender man was an emerging local rapper and songwriter. A music video dropped for his track "Room Full" only two months ago. Ironically, one of the murder suspects can be seen standing next to Young in the video. Watch FOX 6's news report and the music video WHEN YOU JUMP ...

Police believe that Young was killed as part of a brutal gang initiation, reports the WisconsinGazette.com. Warning: The details are quite graphic.

The Milwaukee District Attorney’s office has charged all five with first-degree intentional homicide. According to the complaint, Young and [roommate Billy R. Griffin] were home when the door bell rang. ... The [four] men entered and went into the kitchen, where an argument ensued.

Griffin allegedly told police that the men began to punch Young and said the victim could not be trusted. Young then was led to the basement, where the attackers choked Young with a chain. Then they placed a plastic bag over his head, rendering Young unconscious. The assailants beat and shot Young, possibly as many as three times. Mcalister allegedly fired the weapon.

Authorities allege the basement was cleaned with beach. Evidence collected in the crime includes DNA, blood, burned clothing and a chain.

It was the wife of one of the suspect's who lead police to her husband. Victor Stewart's "wife told police said she filed the stolen car complaint because Stewart didn't return her car until 6 a.m. Jan. 2, and it smelled like bleach. She said she found a bottle of bleach in the trunk," reports WISN

A Facebook memorial "In Memory of Yung LT aka Evon Young" has been created. Watch FOX 6's news report and the music video WHEN YOU JUMP ...

WI: GOProud Endorses Tammy Baldwin's Anti-Gay Opponent

The gay conservative political organization GOProud has endorsed anti-gay former Republican governor Tommy Thompson in the Wisconsin Senate race contest against openly lesbian Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin, reports The Advocate.

Tommy Thompson is a common-sense conservative who will focus on creating jobs and growing the economy for all Wisconsin,” said GOProud executive director Jimmy LaSalvia in a statement. “Governor Thompson’s experience and leadership uniquely qualify him to serve in the U.S. Senate.”

Thompson, a four-term former governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush, won a hotly contested, four-way primary last week. His win marked a break in this year’s trend of tea party upsets over establishment Republican figures, and arguably delivered the toughest general election challenger to Baldwin. ...

The GOProud statement largely focused on economic policy, but it devoted one sentence to “issues of particular importance to gay and lesbian voters in Wisconsin,” saying that Thompson opposes a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

During Thompson's short-lived and ill-fated run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2007, he infamously said that it should "acceptable" to discriminate against gays and lesbians in the private sector. Thompson also opposes marriage equality and supports the Defense of Marriage Act.

GOProud really should give it up. They're not even trying to fake it anymore.

Via Think Progress, watch Thompson argue that businesses should have the right to fire gays AFTER THE JUMP ...

REPORT: Wisconsin Sikh Temple Shooter ID'd as White Supremacist

PHOTOS: REUTERS, JOURNAL SENTINEL

The man accused of killing six people in a shooting people at a Sikh place of worship in suburban Milwaukee has been identified as an Army veteran with ties to racist and white supremacist organizations.

Three people remain hospitalized in critical condition after Sunday's tragedy in Oak Creek. Dozens of worshipers were at the temple when the gunman began his rampage, which some authorities are describing a "domestic terrorist incident."

The gunman has been identified as Wade Michael Page, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinell. Page is described as a "skinhead" with links to the extremist Stormfront website.

The Southern Poverty Law Center reported Monday that Page was a frustrated neo-Nazi who had been the leader of a racist white-power band known as End Apathy. Heidi Beirich, director of the center's intelligence project, said her group had been tracking Page since 2000, when he tried to purchase goods from the National Alliance, a well-known hate group.

Also on Monday, a volunteer human-rights group called Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) found links between Page, his band and a white supremacist website called Stormfront. Jeffrey Imm, who heads R.E.A.L., said in an interview Monday that someone based in Milwaukee using the name "End Apathy" began posting on the website in February 2008. Additionally, appearances by Page's band were promoted on the Stormfront site, including a white supremacist gathering in March 2012 in Richmond, Va.

Page served in the military from 1992 to 1998 as "psychological operations specialist and "missile repairman", according to Reuters. "In June 1998 he was disciplined for being drunk on duty and had his rank reduced to specialist from sergeant. He was not eligible to re-enlist."

The Wisconsin shooting came barely two weeks after 12 people were killed and almost 60 injured in a mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. That happened during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises.

Sikhism is reportedly the fifth largest religion in the world and boasts approximately 500,000 observers. The sect originated in the Punjab area of Southwest Asia. There has been a marked increase in violence and hate crimes against Sikhs since September 11th, 2001, as many Sikh men have been mistaken for Muslim during the growing wave of anti-Muslim sentiment.

WI Gov Walker Wins Recall Election

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has become the first governor in the country's history to survive a recall election. NBC, CNN and Fox News called the race shortly before 10PM /ETfor the anti-gay union-busting Republican governor, reports WTMJ and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The Republican governor held onto his seat in a rematch with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who Walker beat by nearly 6 percentage points in 2010. Turnout Tuesday was far higher than it had been 19 months earlier.

Plans to recall Walker started shortly after he introduced his plan last year to all but eliminate collective bargaining for public workers. The plan prompted tens of thousands protesters to occupy the Capitol and Senate Democrats to leave the state for three weeks in an effort to block the bill, but Walker's fellow Republicans managed to send the measure to him for his signature in March 2011.

Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch also survived a recall.

The Tea Party-backed governor filed a motion in May 2011 seeking to allow the state to withdraw from defending its domestic partnership law. Walker claimed the law was unconstitutional and fired the law firm defending the challenge. A state court later ruled that the DP law was constitutional, offered only "limited benefits" and did not "remotely resemble marriage."

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