KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – Over the weekend, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker delivered the 2024 commencement speech at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas. Butker, a self-proclaimed proud and open Catholic, also gave a commencement speech at Georgia Tech in 2023. During this year’s commencement, the placekicker commended the graduates for their resilience during the Covid pandemic. However, he quickly veered off by addressing a range of contentious issues such as bad leadership, critical views on Catholics, DEI, gender roles, anti-Semitic beliefs, and anti-pride rhetoric, among others.
Initially focusing on the challenges faced by academia from the pandemic, Butker suddenly shifted his attention to criticizing what he viewed as detrimental policies and leadership impacting society and life issues. Butker attributed things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, and “growing support for degenerate cultural values” to what he feels is a widespread dysfunction.
He singled out President Biden for his appearance and gesture at a pro-abortion rally last month. “Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his catholic faith,” Butker said, “at the same time [President Biden] is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally.” Butker continued spewing his anti-abortion rhetoric by comparing the pro-choice stance to supporting the “murder of innocent babies.”
Butker would continue his drivel mischaracterizing gender expression as a dangerous ideology being pushed onto the youth of America and would later refer to pride month as a deadly sin–a remark that was received with laughter during the ceremony.
“I’m certain the reporters at the AP could not have imagined that their attempts to rebuke and embarrass places and people like here at Benedictine wouldn’t be met with anger, but would instead be met with excitement and pride. Not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true god-centered pride.”
It’s no surprise that Butker is facing tons of criticism for his remarks, but he is also receiving a lot of support–mostly from far-right media heads. Even Mayor Quinton Lucas took to twitter to cap for Butker’s right to freedom of [hate] speech.
“Grown folks have opinions.” Lucas tweeted, “Nobody should have to stick to anything. Varied and shall I say–diverse–viewpoints help the world go round.”
While on the topic of diversity, Butker isn’t too fond of that either. He misaligned DEI with tyranny claiming “the world around us says that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Butler proclaimed that “truth is now in the minority” just before addressing the controversial Antisemitism Awareness Act. “Congress just passed a bill where stating something as basic as the biblical teaching of who killed Jesus could land you in jail.” Of note, the bill has not been passed by congress as it has only passed through the House and not yet the Senate.
Butker spent a great deal of his time speaking on his vocation and the role catholic leadership has played in what he describes as “chaos” in the world and in the parishes. Butker claimed that bishops are now motivated by fear: fear of being removed, sued, or disliked. “[Bishops] now relegate themselves to a position of inconsequential existence.” Butker said, “instead of fitting the world by going along to get along, they too need to stay in their lane and lead.”
One can’t say for certain that Butker is asking Catholic leaders to spearhead an outdated doctrine used to perpetuate harm against the lgbtqia community, but one for sure can say Butker is a proponent for the outdated, orthodox policing of gender and gender roles.
“For the ladies present today,” he begins, “I want to speak directly to you briefly, because I think it is you–the women–who have the most diabolical lies told to you” He goes on to tell the women in the ceremony that he believes is not their careers, promotions, or success they are most excited about. “I would venture to guess that most of you are excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.” He went on to describe his relationship with his wife whom he referred to as homemaker.
It’s a bit of an odd contradiction for Butker to suggest women to embrace such a role given his own mother has been a Physicist at Emory College for over 30 years.
It didn’t stop there. Butker then addressed the graduating men and implored them to embrace masculinity. “As men, we set the tone of this culture,” he exclaimed, “be unapologetic in your masculinity fighting against the cultural emasculation of men”–a unfounded myth that has troubled many who contribute to toxic masculinity.
Harrison Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College is not an isolated incident. Butker is merely echoing far right-wing alarmist rhetoric in an effort to derail progress and promote exclusion. The dismissal of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), threats to abortion rights, and dissemination of anti-gay propaganda are all recycled talking points from individuals like Butker who harbor baseless fears that societal changes threaten their worldview. We must continue to speak out against and reject these entrenched narratives as we shape a world beyond divisive rhetoric and work together toward a future that values and respects all individuals. In essence, let Butker’s speech serve as a catalyst for reflection and dialogue, urging us to denounce such fear-based rhetoric and embrace a future that celebrates us all, especially those most impacted by oppression and marginalization.
