Over the weekend, pop singer Katy Perry posted an edited version of Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s recent commencement address, during which he criticized President Joe Biden, so-called “Pride month,” and LGBT lifestyles.
Perry, a former judge on ABC’s “American Idol,” seemingly took issue with some of the LGBT-related comments Butker made during his mid-May graduation speech at Benedictine College, a small Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas.
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The part of Butker’s address that garnered the most attention centered on his statements about women. He told the female graduates gathered for commencement that, ultimately, careers will be unfulfilling in comparison to becoming wives and mothers.
“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 say all of this to you because I have seen it firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God’s will in their life.”
In the edited clip Perry posted to her Instagram account at the start of “Pride month,” it appeared as if Butker told graduates people are much happier supporting women, rather than what he actually stated, which is that women are most eager to get married and raise children.
The famed athlete also talked about “Pride month” during his address, telling the students the “deadly sin of pride” “now has an entire month dedicated to it.”
Perry’s clipped version of the speech depicted Butker saying, “People young and old are embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion,” followed by, “I want to say Happy Pride to all of you.”
You can watch Butker’s actual — unedited — speech below.
In the aftermath of his speech, Butker was met with an onslaught of criticism. A petition was even started on Change.org, urging the Kansas City Chiefs owner to fire Butker from his place on the team.
The kicker, though, is not backing down from his remarks.
In late May, Butker made his first public comments since delivering his commencement address. During an appearance at the Regina Caeli Academy’s Courage Under Fire gala in Nashville, Tennessee, the NFL star defended his graduation speech.
“If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now,” he said. “Over the past few days, my beliefs — or what people think I believe — have been the focus of countless discussions around the globe.”
He added, “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.”
Butker went on to say he does “not regret at all” his speech, noting, “If we have truth and charity, we should trust in the Lord’s providence and let the Holy Ghost do the rest of the work. It is not people but Jesus Christ who I am trying to please.”
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