US football star Harrison Butker has been slammed for comments he made during a commencement address at Benedictine College in the US last weekend, in which he congratulated the women receiving degrees, but then said most were probably more excited to get married and have children.
The Kansas City Chiefs kicker and three-time Super Bowl champion also railed against President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion and his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Catholic leaders he said were “pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America”.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Travis Kelce’s teammate says a woman should be a ‘homemaker’.
The Kansas City Chiefs may be the most recent Super Bowl champions, but are also well known for their tight end Travis Kelce who is dating pop superstar Taylor Swift.
Butker delivered his roughly 20-minute address on 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, also criticised an article by The Associated Press highlighting a shift toward conservatism in some parts of the Catholic Church.
Butker, 28, took aim at Biden’s policies, including his response to COVID-19, which has killed nearly 1.2 million people in the US, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
“While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique,” he 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.”
Butker later addressed the women in the audience, saying that his wife embraced “one of the most important titles of all … homemaker.”
“I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical 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 that her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.”
A petition is now circulating — with more than 70,000 signatures — demanding that Butker be dismissed from the Chiefs for his “discriminatory remarks”.
“These comments reinforce harmful stereotypes that threaten social progress,” the petition states.
“They create a toxic environment that hinders our collective efforts towards equality, diversity and inclusion in society.
“It is unacceptable for such a public figure to use their platform to foster harm rather than unity.”
The Chiefs declined to comment on Butker’s commencement address.
Offseason scandals
It has been an embarrassing offseason for the Chiefs.
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 criticised the plan put forward by the Chiefs as catering primarily to VIPs and the wealthy.
The same week, wide receiver Rashee Rice turned himself in to 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 driving over 160km/h, 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.
