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Harrison Butker is not backing down from his controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College.
The Kansas City Chiefs kicker doubled down in yet another speech he delivered Friday at a gala benefiting the Regina Caeli Academy (a “classical homeschool hybrid” institution) in Nashville, Tennessee. In his first public remarks since the May 11 speech, Butker shared he’s “unapologetic” after sparking outrage when he railed against working women, the LGBTQ+ community and President Joe Biden’s policies, among other things.
“the theme of tonight’s gala — Courage Under Fire — was decided many months ago, but it now feels providential that this would be the theme after what we have all witnessed these past few weeks,” he said in video shared on social media. “If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now.”
He added, “At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion. In my seven years in the NFL, I have become familiar with the positive and negative comments. But the majority of them revolved around my performance on the field. But as to be expected. the more I’ve talked about what I value most, which is my Catholic faith, the more polarizing I’ve become.”
The 28-year-old kicker from Decatur, Georgia, who also quoted from Taylor Swift‘s song “Bejeweled” while addressing the graduates, implored those listening at the gala to be “unapologetic” and “never be afraid to speak out for truth, even when it goes against the loudest voices.”
Among those who condemned Butker’s speech included the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, a “founding institution and sponsor of Benedictine College.” The sisters said they found it “necessary” to respond to Butker’s remarks, which included telling the graduating women in the audience at Benedictine College to lean on their “most important title” of “homemaker.”
“The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica do not believe that Harrison Butker’s comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested,” the nuns wrote. “Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division. One of our concerns was the assertion that being a homemaker is the highest calling for a woman. We sisters have dedicated our lives to God and God’s people, including the many women whom we have taught and influenced during the past 160 years. These women have made a tremendous difference in the world in their roles as wives and mothers and through their God-given gifts in leadership, scholarship, and their careers.”
U.S. Catholic, the faith-based magazine that’s been around since 1935, also condemned Butker in a blistering response with the headline, “No, Harrison Butker, men alone do not set the tone.”
The magazine insisted that “the Catholic Church is stronger and more vibrant thanks to women’s diverse contributions — in the home, in religious life, and in the workplace.”
The NFL also shared a statement via Jonathan Beane, the league’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” Beane told ET in a statement. “His views 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 wife of a former Kansas City Chiefs player also took aim at Butker, and Butker’s current teammates, including star tight end Travis Kelce, also reacted to the speech.
“I know Harry and I saw him in the building. I call him Harry — I might be the only person who calls him Harry,” Kelce shared on the New Heights podcast released on Friday, May 24. “That just tells you, I mean, I’ve known him for seven-plus, eight-plus years and I cherish him as a teammate. He’s treated friends and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness and that’s how he treats everyone.”
Kelce continued, “When it comes down to his views and what he said at the [Benedictine College] commencement speech, you know, those are his [views]. I can’t say I agree with the majority of it — or just about any of it– outside of just him loving his family or his kids. I don’t think I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views of how he goes about life.”
But amid the firestorm, there has also been a wave of support for Butker, including from Everybody Loves Raymond star Patricia Heaton, who said Butker is allowed to have his opinion and that “he’s not a monster for stating what he believes.”
While Patrick Mahomes distanced himself from Butker’s beliefs, the Chiefs’ star quarterback defended his teammate as “a good person.”
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