Chief’s Kicker Harrison Butker’s Commencement Speech Sparks Backlash After Calling Abortion & IVF ‘Diabolical Lies,’ LQBTQ Community ‘Deadly Sin’

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker delivered a highly controversial commencement speech at the Benedictine College graduation ceremony on May 11. 

Butker, 28, decried various “diabolical lies” about topics such as abortion, in vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogacy, and President Joe Biden, which has sparked a wave of backlash on social media.

He began his speech by saying, “It is safe to say that over the years, I have gained quite the reputation for speaking my mind.”

Butker said, “While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique.” He went on to criticize “bad policies and poor leadership” that he said “have negatively impacted major life issues.”

“Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerative cultural values in media all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder,” he said.

Butker addressed the female students, “For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. I want to speak directly to you briefly because 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.”

Speaking about his wife, Butker said, “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. 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, ‘Hey, no.'”

Butker then turned his attention to the male graduates: “To the gentlemen here today, part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation.”

Butker’s offensive remarks extended to the LGBTQ community, as he referred to their pride as a “deadly sin.”

The reaction to Butker’s commencement address has been overwhelmingly negative, and many fans and community members have called for the kicker’s removal from the Kansas City Chiefs. Former Kansas City commissioner Justice Horn condemned Butker’s speech, “Harrison Butker doesn’t represent Kansas City, nor has he ever. Kansas City has always been a place that welcomes, affirms, and embraces our LGBTQ+ community members.”

In February, a woman was killed and 20 fans were injured in a gunfight at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade.