On Wednesday, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker came under fire for a speech he gave in which he criticised women in the workplace and the LGBTQ Pride month.
Comments made by the 28-year-old three-time Super Bowl winner during his commencement address last weekend at Benedictine College, a private Catholic institution near Kansas City, have caused quite a stir.
Butker spoke out against “dangerous gender ideologies” during Pride month, and said that staying at home was the most fulfilling career for women. Additionally, he spoke out against Joe Biden’s position on abortion. The majority of the criticism, however, was directed at his statements that marginalised working women and the LGBTQ+ community.
“For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment,” Butker told his audience. “I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.”
“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”
Ironically, Butker’s speech also brought up Travis Kelce’s relationship with singer Taylor Swift, a worldwide pop icon often linked with female empowerment. He went on to say that his wife Isabelle’s life “truly blossomed” when she embraced being a wife and mother, citing homemaking as one of her most significant titles.
“As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘familiarity breeds contempt,'” Butker said, referencing Swift’s 2022 song “Bejeweled”. In another part of his speech, Butker criticised practices such as abortion, IVF, surrogacy, and euthanasia, as well as what he called the increasing acceptance of degenerative cultural norms in the media, attributing them to a widespread disorder.
Although LGBTQ Pride month has been celebrated annually in the US since 1969, Butker brought up the topic of “deadly sins” in relation to this celebration. “Not the deadly sins sort of Pride that has an entire month dedicated to it,” he said. “But the true God-centred pride that is cooperating with the holy ghost to glorify him.”
His remarks have been met with widespread condemnation from commentators and social media users. More than 21,000 people have signed an online petition on Change.org calling for the Chiefs to fire Butker, describing his comments as “sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion, and racist.”
