Chiefs kicker slammed for ‘bigoted, misogynistic’ speech

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has been slammed for his ‘bigoted, misogynistic’ speech at a local college saying women are happier as ‘homemakers’.

Butker delivered a 20-minute speech on Saturday at the Catholic private liberal arts college in Kansas, where he said men should ‘fight against the cultural emasculation’ and that women should be ‘homemakers’.

He added that his wife Isabelle’s life only ‘truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother’ after she converted to his Catholic faith.

His speech was met with criticism online, as many branded it ‘bigoted’ and ‘misogynistic’ and called for the NFL to take action.

‘Harrison Butker, a dude I had never heard of until today, did a bang-up job of becoming one of the most hated men in North America in the space of one 20-minute speech full of bigotry and misogyny,’ one user wrote.

Another added: ‘Harrison Butker is a sexist, homophobic loser. Hope he misses every field goal this year.’

Butker, who previously voiced his conservative views, addressed not only on gender roles in his speech, but on Pride month, abortion and President Biden’s leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic as well. 

Butker plays football on the same team as Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift‘s boyfriend, and even quoted the singer in his speech, although he only referred to her as his ‘teammate’s girlfriend’.

‘As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’,’ he told the audience, referring to Swift’s song Bejeweled from her 2022 album Midnights. 

‘I’ll let the Swifties handle Harrison Butker,’ one user wrote as the singer’s fans flooded social media with memes making fun of Butker’s points.

More criticism of Butker’s speech includes on user writing: ‘Sounds to me like Harrison Butker is insecure in his own masculinity.’

‘I hope that Harrison Butker tries to tell Travis that Taylor emasculates him cause she works and isn’t at home cooking and taking care of babies. And I hope Travis beats the s*** out of him,’ one Swiftie said. 

Butker has become more vocal in recent years with his personal beliefs, which saw him wearing a tie to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration at the White House last year with a pro-life Latin phrase on it.

He has made his conservative Catholic beliefs well known in the past and 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. 

Butker also addressed the men at the event by saying: ‘To the gentlemen here today, part of what plagues society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities. 

‘As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction and chaos set in,’ Butker continued. ‘This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation.’ 

‘… Be unapologetic in your masculinity. Fight against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy,’ Butker continued.  

Butker then touched on his beliefs about a women’s role in society, comparing it with his views on masculinity and 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. 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,’ 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.

‘I’m on this stage today, able to be the man that I am, because I have a wife who leans into her vocation.

‘I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all, homemaker.’

The Chiefs declined to comment on Butker’s commencement address.

While Butker has faced a lot of backlash for his comments, some social media users agreed with him.

‘Harrison Butker, a practicing Catholic, goes to a Catholic college, and delivers a speech for Catholics, and people are mad that he didn’t pander to them?,’ one asked.

Another said: ‘Looks like ol Harrison Butker pissed off a lot of Democrats.’

‘This is Kansas Chief kicker Harrison Butker speaking out about the Biden and the pro choice Catholics. He does an amazing job and I agree 100%. I AM PROLIFE,’ a third wrote. 

Another added: Harrison Butker is single-handedly destroying the rainbow religion and the feminazis. This man might make me a fan of American football.’ 

Butker, who in 2017 was the 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.