Don’t expect a public apology from Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker. He still stands by his misogynistic commencement speech!
You most likely know all about the drama surrounding the football player’s bashing working women, LGBTQIA+ issues, and more during a 20-minute commencement speech at Benedictine College earlier this month. His awful comments sparked a ton of backlash online. Even his teammate Travis Kelce weighed in on the scandal, insisting he doesn’t agree with “just about any of” what Harrison said. Unfortunately, many defended the athlete, including his other teammate, Patrick Mahomes, and Everybody Loves Raymond star Patricia Heaton.
But what does Harrison have to say for himself now? The NFL star finally spoke out for the first time about the controversy on Friday. Rather than walking back on or apologizing for his disgusting remarks, he doubled down during a speech at the Courage Under Fire gala at Regina Caeli Academy in Nashville. He told the audience his values have been a topic of discussion as of late, saying that it’s become clear to him that “timeless Catholic values are hated by many”:
“Over the past few days my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe. At the outset, many people expressed a shocking level of hate. But as the days went on even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion. … As to be expected, the more I’ve talked about what I value most, which is my Catholic faith, the more polarizing I have become.”
“What people think I believe”?! He made it pretty clear his problematic stance on a number of topics! Harrison went on to say he does “not regret at all” talking about his faith:
“I can’t help but tremble at the thought of the courage many saints have shown in their lives. Would I be so bold if the repercussion was what Daniel faced in being fed to lions. In reality any courage I have shown will lead to some small suffering, and it will lead to some people never liking me. If I constantly remind myself of the hardships the saints went through, especially the martyrs and their persecution, it makes it all seem not so bad. For if heaven is our goal, we should embrace our cross however large or small it maybe and live our life in joy to be a bold witness for Christ.”
He also said he was “humbled” by the support he’s received over the past few days. Watch the new speech (below):
No matter how many people call him out for the hateful speech, Harrison clearly stands firm by his comments. Ugh. Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments below.
[Image via The Daily Wire/Benedictine College/YouTube]
