The NFL has come out against comments made by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker in a commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” Jonathan Beane, the league's senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, told People 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.”
In his 20-minute speech, the football player attacked various social issues, starting with what he called “dangerous gender ideologies.” He also referenced Pride Month, claiming: “Not the deadly sins sort of Pride that has an entire month dedicated to it.” And he criticized president Joe Biden too.
Butker also said, “Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. 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.”
The Chiefs kicker also shared his views on traditional gender roles, saying, “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.”
The speech concluded with a call for men to embrace traditional masculinity. “Be unapologetic in your masculinity. Fighting against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things; never settle for what is easy,” Butker said.
The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, a founding institution of Benedictine College, said in a statement that Butker’s speech fostered division, and call out him for sexist commencement speech. They have weighed in, denouncing Butker’s remarks as unrepresentative of the ideals of the Catholic liberal arts college.
Kansas City Chiefs player’s commencement speech was not only a clear miss, it was inaccurate, ill-informed, and retrograde about Pride, LGBTQ people and women.
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