Over the weekend, Harrison Butker stood by his controversial commencement address against a tide of criticism. In the original speech, he attacked Joe Biden for his pro-choice stance, calling out the President for his hypocrisy of claiming to hold to Catholicism while at the same time promoting abortion. 

He pronounced gender ideologies as “dangerous” and referenced the “deadly sin sort of pride that has a month dedicated to it,” pointing to “Pride Month,” which celebrates the LBGT lifestyle.

He went on to encourage men to remain “unapologetically” masculine while proclaiming women were likely “more excited” to get married and have children than they were about possible careers.

Mr Butker took the opportunity at a gala event on Friday, ironically themed “Courage Under Fire,” to express his reaction to “a shocking level of hate,” which proved that “If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now.”

He encouraged listeners to “Never be afraid to speak out for truth, even when it goes against the loudest voices,” he added, “In the end, being courageous starts with the small things.”

It seems no small thing to have Harrison Butker’s career threatened and his faith maligned as homophobic, transphobic, and Neanderthal.

He stood his ground, acknowledging that “being disliked and mischaracterized by some is nothing compared to finding yourself in the lion’s den,” in a reference to Daniel, the biblical hero of the Old Testament.

Although the Kansas City Chiefs executives declined to make official statements in support of Butker, they made it clear that even with the public outcry to punish Butker, his job was not in jeopardy.

Chief’s CEO, Clark Hunt’s wife, Tavia Hunt, nodded to the Butker controversy, posting on Instagram, “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). 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 in defense of traditional families, “Studies show that committed, married couples with children are the happiest demographic, and this has been my experience as well.” Without stating Butker’s name, she deflected the hostile criticism he has received, “Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother, is not bigoted,” Tavia posted “It is empowering to acknowledge that a woman’s hard work in raising children is not in vain.” adding, “Countless highly educated women devote their lives to nurturing and guiding their children. Someone disagreeing with you doesn’t make them hateful; it simply means they have a different opinion.”

While being interviewed at First Baptist Church in Dallas, Gracie Hunt answered questions about “the reaction from the Hunt family” and said “Well, I can only speak from my own experience, which is I’ve had the most incredible mom who had the ability to stay home and be with us as kids growing up,” she added, “And I understand that there are many women out there who can’t make that decision, but for me in my life, I know it was really formative in shaping me and my siblings to be who we are.”

Unlike players who choose to express their political views by kneeling during the National Anthem on the field and while in uniform, NFL senior vice president Jonathan Beane pointed out that “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity.”

Butker’s teammates weighed in with varying degrees, some with simple statements like Chris Jones posted, “I love you @butkicker7 ! Ma Brotha.”  Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs’ quarterback, supported him with a much longer message: “I’ve known him for seven years. I judge him by the character he shows every single day, and that’s a good person,” he continued, “That’s someone who cares about the people around him, cares about his family and wants to make a good impact in society.” Mahomes described, “When you’re in the locker room, there’s a lot of people from a lot of different areas of life, and they have a lot of different views on everything. We’re not always going to agree, and there’s certain things that he said that I don’t agree with, but I understand the person he is, and he’s trying to do whatever he can to lead people in the right direction.”

Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs coach, while answering questions during a press conference concerning the Harrison Butker uproar, explained that he had not spoken with Harrison about the speech and did not find it necessary to do so. “We’re a microcosm of life here, from different areas, different religions, races, and so we all get along, and we all respect each other’s opinions,” Reid continued with his support, “We respect everybody to have a voice, that’s the great thing about America.”

At CitizenGO, we first applaud Harrison Butker for defending the values of family, life, and freedom without fear and standing against the onslaught of hatred. Second, we want to thank the Kansas City Chiefs for listening to the voices of ten thousand CitizenGO petitions against the hundreds of thousands who would have Butker removed from the team.

A HUGE thank you to the CitizenGO family for letting your voices be heard to defend a man who stands for the values of family, life and freedom. In just a few days, 10,061 people signed the petition sent directly to the Kansas City Chiefs executive team! By standing with Harrison, we are one step further from the lion’s den for us all.