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05/14 19:59 CDT Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker rails against Pride month,
working women in commencement speech
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker rails against Pride month, working women in
commencement speech
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) --- Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker railed
against Pride month, working women, President Biden's leadership during the
COVID-19 pandemic and abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine
College last weekend.
The three-time Super Bowl champion delivered the roughly 20-minute address
Saturday at the Catholic private liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas, which
is located about 60 miles north of Kansas City.
Butker, who has made his conservative Catholic beliefs well known, began his
address by attacking what he called "dangerous gender ideologies" in an
apparent reference to Pride month, which has been celebrated in June since the
Stonewall riots in 1969. He also criticized an article by The Associated Press
highlighting a shift toward conservativism in some parts of the Catholic Church.
The 28-year-old Butker then took aim at Biden's policies, including his
response to COVID-19, which has killed nearly 1.2 million people in the U.S.,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it
is not unique," he said. "The bad policies and poor leadership have negatively
impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia,
as well as a growing support for the degenerate cultural values and media all
stem from pervasiveness of disorder."
Butker later addressed the women in the audience, arguing that their "most
important title" should be that of "homemaker."
"I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic lies told to
you," Butker said. "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."
The Chiefs declined to comment on Butker's commencement address.
The 2017 seventh-round pick out of Georgia Tech has become of the NFL's best
kickers, breaking the Chiefs' franchise record with a 62-yard field goal in
2022. Butker helped them win their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2020, added
a second Lombardi Trophy in 2023, and he kicked the field goal that forced
overtime in a Super Bowl win over San Francisco in February.
It has been an embarrassing offseason for the Chiefs, though.
Last month, voters in Jackson County, Missouri, soundly rejected a ballot
initiative that would have helped pay for a downtown ballpark for the Royals
and an $800 million renovation to Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Chiefs.
Many voters criticized the plan put forward by the Chiefs as catering primarily
to VIPs and the wealthy.
The same week, wide receiver Rashee Rice turned himself into Dallas police on
multiple charges, including aggravated assault, after he was involved in a
high-speed crash that left four people with injuries. Rice has acknowledged
being the driver of one of the sports cars that was going in excess of 100 mph,
and video shows him leaving the scene without providing information or
determining whether anyone needed medical attention.
Last week, law enforcement officials told The Dallas Morning News that Rice
also was suspected of assaulting a person at a downtown nightclub; Dallas
police did not name Rice as the suspect in detailing a report to The Associated
Press.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he had spoken to the receiver and the team was
letting the legal process play out.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
