Harrison Butker, the Kansas City Chiefs’ placekicker, ignited a firestorm of controversy during Benedictine College’s 2024 graduation ceremony with a speech that many deemed misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ+.
Graduation Season
For a lot of young people, May marks a significant conclusion to their academic journeys. Uniforms and school attire is traded in for a cap and gown. Once finals are out of the way, the only standing between a student and their diploma is graduation.
A Time to Celebrate
These ceremonies are supposed to be joyous in nature as young minds, freshly sharpened, prepare to enter the workforce. In order to commemorate the momentous occasion, universities often hire a keynote speaker to provide sage advice to those entering a great unknown.
Addressing the Future
Benedictine College was no exemption from this addition at their 2024 graduation, having notable athlete Harrison Butker come to deliver the speech. With the school being located in Kansas, why not get a local legend?
Spoiled Speech
While the audience buzzed with anticipation, things quickly turned sour. The member of the NFL Kansas City Chiefs chose to spend his time on stage rather poorly, turning his graduation speech into a prejudiced tirade.
Scathing Remarks
Butker, notable for his placekicker position on the currently reigning Super Bowl winning team, used his platform to comment on the US’s current political climate. Several of his statements were found to be misogynistic and transphobic in nature.
Not-So-Wise Life Lessons
Key takeaways from the speech highlighted his stance on the traditional role that women should take within society. This led to several blunders as he regaled the crowd with his vibrant anti- LGBTQ+ attitudes as well.
Lying to Women
The speech lasted for 20 minutes, laced with quotes such as “I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you…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.”
Backhanded Compliment
Despite the misogyny, Butker did manage to find room to compliment his wife in the commencement address. The compliment, however, came wrapped in disempowering ideals, as he praised her for being the model housewife.
Skin Deep
“I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I’m on this stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation,” he mentioned.
Not So Proud to Be American
Other portions of the speech directly targeted the queer community. In particular, his discussion of Pride Month as “Not the deadly sins sort of Pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the holy ghost to glorify him.”
Halt All Progress
Butker continued to comment on other aspects of social progress, saying “Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.”
Not Very Christian-Like
Of course, he also saved time to target Catholic President Joe Biden claiming, “Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally,”.
Online Outrage
The placekicker received wide backlash from his harangue. Some of those in attendance took his time on stage as a great offense, sprinting to social media to reveal his sentiments. The social media outrage led to ongoing debates.
In the Public Eye
Average-day individuals were not the only ones Butker managed to agitate. Word of his comments made their way to the ears of Sarah Kate Ellis, The CEO and President of GLAAD, a pro-LGBTQ+ advocacy group.
Uplift or Fall Short?
Ellis was clear in her retort, responding with, “Those with expansive platforms, especially athletes, should use their voices to uplift and expand understanding and acceptance in the world.”
Not a Team Player
She continued saying that “Butker’s remarks undermine experiences not of his own and reveal him to be one who goes against his own team’s commitment to the Kansas City community, and the NFL’s standards for respect, inclusion, and diversity across the League.”
NFL on Mute
The NFL has so far been silent on the issue, causing fans to speculate on what the core values of the sport organization truly are. One thing is absolutely certain though: the longer their silence, the more anxious the public grows.
The post A Tirade Against Women and the LGBTQ+ Community in NFL Star’s Graduation Speech first appeared on Pulse of Pride.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / DANIEL CONSTANTE.
