Students speak out on Harrison Butker's 'uncomfortable' commencement address
"Harrison Butker’s commencement speech last weekend left some graduates at Benedictine College outraged after the Kansas City Chiefs kicker asserted that one of the “most important” roles for a woman is being a homemaker and that Pride Month is an example of “deadly sin.”
Kyra Misuraca, a 22-year-old graphic design major, said she was shocked that Butker used the speech to address gender roles instead of encouraging her and other graduating women to follow their dreams.
“My jaw dropped at one point,” said another student, 21-year-old Susannah Leisegang, who also graduated with a graphic design degree. “It was just very uncomfortable, and I was looking back and forth at some of my friends and we were like, this is just not the time and place for this at all...”
Roughly 12 minutes into the speech, Butker addressed the graduating women directly and said that “the most diabolical lies” had been told to them... Butker invoked his own success and attributed it to his wife, whom he said had converted to Catholicism, married him and “embraced one of the most important titles of all — homemaker,” he said.
The line drew applause, but Misuraca said all the women sitting around her audibly gasped.
“I was very irritated that he would say that to a bunch of women who are graduating college with a degree in something that they’re passionate about,” she said...
...At the end of Butker's speech, there was applause and many in the crowd rose to their feet.
But Misuraca said she remained seated and booed. Leisegang also booed. They both said they hoped that school administrators would eventually address graduates about the controversy."
In the days since the address, neither Butker nor Benedictine College have commented about the backlash — and graduates have been left to grapple with the fallout.
www.nbcnews.com
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