The petition, which had garnered over 10,000 signatures by Saturday afternoon, criticizes Butker's remarks as a distortion of Christian faith and harmful to the LGBTQ+ community and women.
Butker, a conservative Catholic, delivered the speech to graduating students at Benedictine College in Kansas on May 11. His comments, particularly those targeting LGBTQ+ communities and women, have sparked controversy. He referred to "dangerous gender ideologies" and suggested that a woman's "most important title" should be "homemaker."
Butker addressed the female students, stating, "It is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross the stage and thinking about all the promotions and titles you're going to get in your career? 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 children." He further claimed that his wife's life only "truly started when she began living her vocation as wife and mother."
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Faithful America, which opposes "Christian nationalism," described Butker's speech as a "wicked" distortion of their faith. They criticized him for using the graduation ceremony, a significant moment for the young graduates, as a platform for promoting sexism and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments.
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The petition calls for Butker to apologize, asserting that LGBTQ+ individuals and women deserve to celebrate significant life events without being insulted or judged. It states, "As members of the Christian organization Faithful America, we were alarmed by your sexist, anti-queer remarks at the Benedictine College graduation ceremony earlier this month. LGBTQ people and women are made in the image of God, and deserve to be able to celebrate important moments in their lives without being insulted and judged. As your siblings in Christ, we ask that you please apologize to those who were hurt by your speech now."
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The controversy surrounding Butker's speech escalated after clips of his remarks were widely shared on social media. The NFL player was criticized for using his platform to discuss other contentious issues, including abortion, in vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogacy, and euthanasia.
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The NFL distanced itself from Butker's views in a statement released on Thursday. Jonathan Beane, NFL senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, said, "Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger."
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However, CatholicVote, a nonprofit advocacy group, has defended Butker. The group sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, criticizing the league's statement. They argued that the "ideals" Butker referred to in his speech are not controversial and remain "sacred for millions of religious believers."
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CatholicVote President Brian Burch wrote on Thursday, "In that speech, for which he received a standing ovation, Butker called on Catholics to live up to the high ideals of our Faith, including the defense of the dignity of every human life, the foundational role of the family, and the gift of motherhood." He added, "These ideals are not controversial for millions of Americans and indeed remain sacred for millions of religious believers, including millions of your fans and customers. A recent statement by the league distancing itself from Butker for his remarks calls into question your commitment to genuine diversity and inclusion."
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