A polarizing college commencement speech by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker continues generating headlines after more than a week. Although the Chiefs organization hasn’t issued a response, the wife and daughter of the team’s co-owner and CEO both recently addressed the controversy.
On May 11, Butker told graduates at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, that women should prioritize homemaking. The three-time Super Bowl champion and outspoken Catholic also railed against hot-button issues such as Pride Month and President Biden’s support of abortion.
Since the speech, 220,000 people have signed a petition calling for the Chiefs to dismiss Butker. The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica denounced the speech, and the NFL said the athlete’s views don’t represent the league.
Meanwhile, Butker’s jersey sales have spiked, and conservative figures are supporting the kicker—with one encouraging the Chiefs to give him a raise.
Tavia Hunt: It’s ‘Not Bigoted’ To Affirm Motherhood
On May 16, Tavia Hunt, wife of Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, shared a lengthy Instagram post about the Harrison Butker controversy. Next to photos of her and her children, she wrote, “I’ve always encouraged my daughters to be highly educated and chase their dreams. I want them to know that they can do whatever they want (that honors God).”
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“But I also want them to know that I believe finding a spouse who loves and honors you as or before himself and raising a family together is one of the greatest blessings this world has to offer,” she continued. “Studies show that committed, married couples with children are the happiest demographic, and this has been my experience as well.” With her post, Hunt included screenshots about the pros and cons of stay-at-home parenting and a study that showed marriage increases people’s happiness.
Hunt, who didn’t mention Harrison Butker by name, added that it’s “not bigoted” but rather “empowering” to affirm motherhood and to highlight the “sacrifice and dedication” of moms. “Countless highly educated women devote their lives to nurturing and guiding their children,” she wrote.
“Someone disagreeing with you doesn’t make them hateful; it simply means they have a different opinion,” said Hunt. “Let’s celebrate families, motherhood and fatherhood. Our society desperately needs dedicated men and women to raise up and train the next generation in the way they should go.”
Hunt, who quoted Proverbs 31:28, encouraged people to embrace God’s “beautiful roles” and engage in dialogue. She also warned against taking words out of context. “Sound bites overlaid with hateful comments are not what we want to model for our children or others,” she concluded.
