Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is doubling down on the controversial commencement speech he delivered in May, in which he expressed sexist and bigoted views to graduates at Benedictine College.
Butker told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he was moved to speak at the Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas, because he wanted to “preach” things that he “wholeheartedly” believed would “make this world a better place.”
“If people don’t agree, they don’t agree, but I’m going to continue to say what I believe to be true and love everyone along the way,” he said.
Referring to his commencement speech, Butker said: “I prayed about it, and I thought about it, and I was very intentional with what I said, and I stand behind what I said.”
Butker, who has been outspoken about his Catholic faith, sparked a firestorm of backlash this spring after he delivered his speech at Benedictine.
During his address, he made a reference to LGBTQ+ Pride month as an example of a “deadly sin,” and decried “dangerous gender ideologies” and the “tyranny of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
He also said he believed the majority of female graduates in the crowd were likely “most excited” about the possibility of one day getting married and having children.
The Chiefs kicker told the graduates that being a homemaker is, for women, “one of the most important titles of all.”
Shortly after Butker’s speech, the NFL released a statement distancing itself from his remarks, saying that Butker’s views did not represent those of the organization.
Serena Williams, who hosted the 2024 ESPYs last month, threw shade at Butker — who was in attendance — in a bit on stagediscussing the importance of supporting women’s sports with her sister, fellow tennis icon Venus Williams, and “Abbott Elementary” creator Quinta Brunson.
“Go ahead and enjoy women’s sports like you would any other sports, because they are sports,” Venus said, before her younger sister chimed in.
“Except you, Harrison Butker,” Serena quipped. “We don’t need you.”
“At all, like ever,” Brunson added.
Butker told the AP on Wednesday that he felt his remarks at Benedictine had been misinterpreted.
“My whole career, I’ve talked about how I’m a husband and I’m a father before it comes to me as a kicker, something I’ve always preached,” he said. “But then when I use that to talk about women, I say that they should embrace and love being wives and being mothers over their career, I think then it gets construed that I’m trying to put women down, which I’m not at all.”
In May, shortly after his initial remarks, Butker said he did not regret the things he said in his commencement speech “at all.”
