As one of Herremans followers, I saw the tweet moments after he posted it. It was the way the language was crafted - particularly the "barrage of homosexuality" portion - that gave me pause. No one forced Herremans to write that or share it. No one overheard him say it at a party or took it out of context. He sat down and typed those words himself, then put it on the Internet for everyone to see.
I tweeted him directly and asked for a comment on the record (which was sort of redundant considering all this happened in a forum open to the public). I also asked if he wanted to take back what he said or apologize for his comments.
"@gonzophilly I have no issues with homosexuality, to each his/her own... Its jus not for me.. #jussayin"
It wasn't a retraction, and the "jussayin" rejoinder felt weak - like someone who tries to shield himself from the blowback of uttering something insulting by adding "no offense." When I asked Herremans how his tweet might be received by a gay Eagles employee - closeted or otherwise, playing for the team or serving in some other capacity - and whether that person might find it offensive, he reiterated his position.
"@gonzophilly like I said... To each his/her own!"
Because Twitter is designed to let people peek in on your conversations, my followers and his watched all this unfold. Some people thought what Herremans wrote was insensitive and inexcusable. Others said Herremans had nothing to be sorry for and accused me of attempting to create a controversy.
