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An NFL star has courted controversy by telling female graduates that one of their most important roles in life will be “homemaker”.<\/b><\/p>\n
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker also criticised abortion and LGBT Pride marches in a speech at Benedictine College, Kansas.<\/p>\n
His team has not reacted to the three-time Super Bowl champ’s comments. The NFL said it was a “personal” matter.<\/p>\n
Nearly 160,000 people have signed a petition for the 28-year-old’s firing.<\/p>\n
In his 20-minute address last Saturday, he said to women graduates at the Catholic private college that they had been told “the most diabolical lies”.<\/p>\n
“Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world,” he said. <\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Butker added that his wife’s life had “truly started” when “she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother”. <\/p>\n
He added that Isabelle Butker had embraced “one of the most important titles of all: homemaker”. Speaking about his marriage, he appeared to become emotional.<\/p>\n
His speech also attacked IVF, surrogacy, “degenerate cultural values”, “dangerous gender ideologies” and “the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion”.<\/p>\n
“Our nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but… has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies,” he said in a reference to President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n
The football league distanced itself from the remarks, saying they were given “in his personal capacity… his views are not those of the NFL”.<\/p>\n
The LGBT advocacy group GLAAD called Butker’s speech “woefully out of step with Americans”. <\/p>\n
Many social media users also criticised the NFL star.<\/p>\n
Stefanie Hills, a former NFL cheerleader for the Chiefs, said on TikTok: “The best part of your speech when you said ‘stay in your lane’ ten plus times. Bro, take your own advice.” <\/p>\n
But his remarks were cheered by many conservatives. And even staunchly liberal comedian Whoopi Goldberg defended Butker’s right to express his views. <\/p>\n
“These are his beliefs and he’s welcome to them,” she told her co-panellists on ABC’s The View.<\/p>\n
“I don’t have to believe them. Right? I don’t have to accept them.”<\/p>\n
His Chiefs teammates have stayed largely quiet about the uproar. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes told The Pat McAfee Show, a radio programme, that he did not often speak to his teammate.<\/p>\n
“Honestly, I don’t talk to Harrison all year long, man. I just let him do his thing,” Mahomes said. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Missouri’s top prosecutor vowed to investigate the alleged doxxing on Wednesday of Butker through a social media account run by Kansas City’s government. <\/p>\n
The message, which revealed the neighbourhood in which the Butker family lives, was posted from a public account on X, formerly Twitter, that is controlled by the city. <\/p>\n
Attorney General Andrew Bailey said the investigation would look into whether the post had violated the Missouri Human Rights Act and targeted Butker for “daring to express his religious beliefs”.<\/p>\n
It was deleted after about two hours. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has apologised for the message, calling it “clearly inappropriate”.<\/p>\n
Butker has played for the Chiefs since 2017. He broke the Chiefs’ franchise record in 2022 with a 62-yard field goal and helped the team win its first Super Bowl for 50 years in 2020. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n