NFL fans are calling for Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker to face a comparable punishment to Colin Kaepernick following his controversial statements made during his commencement speech at Benedictine College on May 11.
Butker was tapped as the commencement speaker for the Catholic liberal arts college’s class of 2024 and is facing backlash in the days following his viral speech after sharing his personal views on a variety of topics, such as In vitro fertilization (IVF), women’s household roles, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
From Butker’s point of view, his wife Isabelle’s life “really started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.” Butker and Isabelle share two children. He also claimed that women have been fed “diabolic lies” and argued their primary roles should revolve around taking care of the home and children, not entering the workforce.
“I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic 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. I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother,” Butker said during his speech.
“I’ve seen firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God’s will for life. Isabelle’s dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you ask her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud without hesitation and say ‘no.’”
The three-time Super Bowl winner, who is a staunch conservative and devout Catholic, also referred to diversity, equity, and inclusion as “tyranny” in his speech.
“The world around us says that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Butker. “We Fear speaking truth because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority.”
Butker’s address sparked a string of reactions across social media, with some demanding the NFL discipline Butkner for his comments. Several drew comparisons to Colin Kaepernick’s plight following his silent protest against police brutality and social injustice by refusing to stand for the national anthem before games in 2016. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback opted to become a free agent after 2016 and went unsigned through the offseason. There was a growing sentiment around the NFL that Kaepernick had effectively been ruled persona non grata by NFL team owners. In 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL, accusing league owners of colluding to keep him out of the league. It was settled in 2019
Butker’s speech prompted some observers to call out the NFL for its perceived hypocrisy.
“Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker rails against Pride month, working women in commencement speech” Oh, but it’s Colin Kaepernick who deserves to be cancelled,” an X user pointed out.
“This is so gross, but of course, the same folks who told LeBron James to ‘shut up and dribble’ and Colin Kaepernick to ‘stick to sports’ are celebrating this disgusting white Christian nationalist. Vile stuff,” one person wrote on X.
Let me understand this, Colin Kaepernick was threatened, blacklisted, condemned for peacefully taking a knee in protest against racial injustice/police brutality, but Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gives a misogynistic, bigoted, homophobic speech and it’s fine? Racism.
— MC Wright (@MichaelWri13677) May 15, 2024
“Let me understand this, Colin Kaepernick was threatened, blacklisted, condemned for peacefully taking a knee in protest against racial injustice/police brutality, but Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gives a misogynistic, bigoted, homophobic speech, and it’s fine? Racism,” another said.
“For context, Colin Kaepernick was banned from the NFL for condemning police targeting of people of color. Harrison Butker openly rails against queer people and people of color, and the NFL is fine with it. One is freedom of speech, the other is hate speech,” a different social media user stated.
The Chiefs declined to comment on Butker’s commencement speech. Butker is under contract for one more season in Kansas City.
