Catherine Rusoff
The NFL responded to the Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison ButkerBenedictine College’s controversial commencement speech where he urged women to be homemakers and criticized Pride Month. The league said in a statement to CBS News that it does not stand by its opinion.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in a personal capacity,” said Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer. “Your opinions of him are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
The organization’s response comes after the backlash over the three-time Super Bowl champion’s comments. On a 20 minute address Last weekend at the Catholic liberal arts school, he took aim at Pride Month, women in the workforce, President Biden and abortion.
Butker, who has made her conservative Catholic beliefs well known, began her speech by attacking what she called “dangerous gender ideologies,” in an apparent reference to Pride Month, which has been celebrated in June since the 1969 Stonewall riots.
In a different part of this speech, he said: “Things like abortion, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as growing support for degenerative cultural values in the media, all result from the spread of disorder.” . He also condemned the president for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his pro-abortion stance, despite being Catholic himself.
He later addressed the women in attendance, suggesting that her “most important title” should be “housewife.”
“I think it was you women who heard the most diabolical lies told,” Butker said. “Some of you may go on to successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that most of you are more excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life really began when she began to live her calling as a wife and mother.”
The kicker also cited Taylor Swift’s song “Bejeweled” while criticizing the Catholic Church and its clergy for being “overly familiar” with their parishioners.
“As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘familiarity breeds contempt,’” Butker said, referring to Travis Kelce.
Butker received criticism from many online, including former Kansas City Commissioner Justice Horn. “Harrison Butker does not represent Kansas City and never has. Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms and embraces members of our LGBTQ+ community,” Horn said on social media.
The Los Angeles Chargers also mocked Butker in their schedule launch videoshowing him cooking in a kitchen and causing a fire as a Sims character.
A petition on Change.org has been circulating calling for Butker’s resignation. More than 95,000 signatures have been collected so far.
Cristóvão Brito
