Backlash against Harrison Butker grows: NFL wades in to say it does NOT support his controversial comments, leaders say he does not represent Kansas City and petition to cut him from Chiefs surges past 80,000

That press release came as the petition to have him removed from the Super Bowl champion’s roster closes in on 100,000 signatures. It was set up just a day after his address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

Butker, 28, who’s made his conservative Catholic beliefs well known, also assailed Pride month, a particularly important time for the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion as well as Covid-19 policies. ”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 pervasiveness of disorder,’ Butker ranted.

The Georgia-native even quoted self-made billionaire Taylor Swift, although he only referred to her as his ‘teammate’s girlfriend,’ thanks to her relationship with tight end Travis Kelce. ‘As my teammate’s girlfriend says, “familiarity breeds contempt,”‘ he told the audience, referring to Swift’s song Bejeweled from her 2022 album Midnights.

The NFL’s chief DEI officer has now stepped in to make it clear that Butker’s statements were ‘personal’ and do not reflect the league’s efforts to make football more inclusive. ‘Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger,’ the league’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, Jonathan Beane, said.

‘His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger,’ Beane, who is also a senior vice president, said. As of Thursday morning, the Change.org petition, ‘Demand the Kansas City Chiefs to Dismiss Harrison Butker for Discriminatory Remarks,’ has over 80,000 signatures.

‘These dehumanizing remarks against LGBTQ+ individuals, attacks on abortion rights and racial discrimination perpetuate division and undermine human rights,’ it also said. The blurb for the petition described the speech as ‘sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist.’ By comparison, a petition titled ‘I Support Kansas City Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker’ has a mere 800 signatures.

Former Kansas City commissioner Justice Horn also slammed Butker in a social media post, writing, ‘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 Butker’s comments have been reverberating around the internet for days now. ‘I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you,’ the Georgia Tech graduate 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,’ he said. ‘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.’ Butker said that his wife embraced ‘one of the most important titles of all. Homemaker.’

He also criticized as disparaging to the Catholic Church an article by The Associated Press highlighting a shift toward conservativism in some parts of the church. The three-time Super Bowl champion delivered his roughly 20-minute address Saturday at the Catholic private liberal arts school in Atchison, Kansas, which is located about 60 miles miles north of Kansas City. He received a standing ovation from graduates and other attendees.

Butler referred to a ‘deadly sin sort of pride that has a month dedicated to it’ in an oblique reference to Pride month. Butler also took aim at Biden’s policies, including his condemnation of the Supreme Court’s reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and advocacy for freedom of choice — a key campaign issue in the 2024 presidential race. Biden, who is Catholic, has a fraught history on the issue. He initially opposed the Roe v. Wade decision, saying it went too far. He also opposed federal funding for abortions and supported restrictions on abortions later in pregnancy.

Butker also tackled Biden’s 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. ‘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 pervasiveness of disorder.’