Benedictine Sisters condemn Harrison Butker’s speech, say it doesn’t represent college

In his commencement speech, the Super Bowl-winning kicker attacked Pride Month, transgender people and the coronavirus pandemic. Butker also said he believes women belonged in the kitchen, adding that “one of the most important titles” a woman could have is homemaker.

Butker’s comments have been panned, and those within the college are also denouncing his speech. The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica said in a statement on Friday they don’t believe the speech represents “the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested.” The sisters are a founding institution and sponsor of Benedictine College, according to its website.

“Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division,” the statement reads. “One of our concerns was the assertion that being a homemaker is the highest calling for a woman. We sisters have dedicated our lives to God and God’s people, including the many women whom we have taught and influenced during the past 160 years. These women have made a tremendous difference in the world in their roles as wives and mothers and through their God-given gifts in leadership, scholarship, and their careers.