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Harrison Butker has not apologised for comments in which he suggested women should give up professional careers and become housewives.
Kansas City Chiefs players attended the “Courage Under Fire” gala at Regina Caeli Academy on Friday, about two weeks after their Benedictine University graduation speech drew criticism.
“In the past few days, my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the subject of countless debates around the world,” Bhatkar, 28, said in a video shared online. “Initially, many expressed shocking levels of hatred. But as the days went by, even people who don’t agree with my views began to support my religious freedom.”
Butker said he had become a controversial public figure but stood by his previous positions.
“This is a conscious decision I made and one I don’t regret at all,” Butker said.
Butker has come under fire for comments he made on May 11 at Benedictine University, a small Catholic liberal arts college in Kansas, in which he said female graduating students had been told “horrible lies” and suggested they were more interested in starting families than getting a job.
“How many of you standing here today are thinking about the promotions and titles you’re going to get in your careers? Some of you will be successful in the world, but for the majority of you, your biggest priorities are marriage and the children you’re going to bring into the world.”
Mr. Butker then referred to his wife, saying she was valued as “a housewife, which is one of the most important titles.”
“I tell you this because I have seen firsthand how much happier I can be when I ignore the outside noise and get closer and closer to God’s will for my life,” he said.
Women shouldn’t be ashamed of the path they choose
Butker’s comments sparked an online debate about women in the workforce.
Phoebe GavinThe career and leadership coach told Business Insider that women should be given the space and opportunity to shape their future based on their own ambitions.
“I support women having choices and being able to make choices based on their instincts,” Gavin said. “Some women embrace motherhood as their primary motivation in life, while others make other choices.”
Gavin added that some women want both a career and motherhood, while others want neither, and none of these choices should be ridiculed, she said.
“There are people who truly believe that this is the right decision for them, and if they believe that, I fully embrace them and empower them and encourage them to pursue that path,” she said. “What I do have an issue with is forcing those values on other people.”
That’s why she’s challenging Benedict College’s decision to select Butker to deliver the commencement speech.
“They should have known he wasn’t the type of person they wanted standing in front of their graduates,” Gavin said.
She said it was “painful” to see young female graduates who have worked for at least four years to enter the profession “being told they’re doing it wrong, that they should be doing something else.”
Jessica Schafer, an expert in crisis communications and reputation management, echoed Gavin’s sentiments, saying commencement speeches are meant to be inspirational, not a place to air personal opinions.
“As someone who gives many commencement speeches, preparation is important. The goal is to inspire everyone who graduates,” Schafer told BI. “This is not a place for personal opinions. That’s not why I get paid to give commencement speeches.”
“Whatever choices women make, they should be able to live their lives without feeling ashamed of them,” Gavin added.
Since the speech, several people have spoken out against Butker and Benedictine College.
The National Football League distanced itself from Butker in a statement praising inclusivity, and teammates Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes said they disagreed with Butker’s comments but defended his right to express his opinion.
The nuns at the Benedictine College also condemned Mr. Bhatkar’s speech, saying they disagreed with his assertion that “being a housewife is a woman’s highest vocation.”
“We sisters have dedicated our lives to God and His people, including many of the women we have taught and influenced over the past 160 years,” the statement read. “These women have made a tremendous difference in the world through their roles as wives and mothers and through their God-given talents in leadership, scholarship and careers.”
Representatives for Butker and Benedictine College did not respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment outside of regular business hours.