5 famous people defending Harrison Butker amid commencement speech backlash
NFL football player Harrison Butker continues to face backlash over his remarks at a commencement ceremony at Benedictine College earlier this month, where he condemned abortion, surrogacy and euthanasia as well as the “growing support for degenerate cultural values” and “dangerous gender ideologies.”
Butker’s remarks also extolled the virtues of motherhood as he encouraged female graduates and other women in the audience to “disregard the outside noise” that encourages them to prioritize their careers above everything else.
“The majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world,” he said during his speech at the Roman Catholic institution based in Atchison, Kansas. Noting that his wife was a stay-at-home mother whose “dream of having a career might not have come true,” Butker insisted that “if you ask her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud without hesitation and say ‘heck no.’”
Butker’s comments sparked blowback and more than 221,000 people have signed a petition calling on the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs to release him from the team’s roster. While Butker’s remarks have generated opposition, he has also seen several notable figures extending across multiple industries come to his defense.
Here's a list of five people who have defended Harrison Butker's remarks at Benedictine College's commencement ceremony.