Diverse diversity

Roderick Graham
3 min readMay 21, 2024

Three-time Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker is now more famous for his off-the-field behavior than his on-field behavior. The 28-year-old kicker from Georgia made some controversial comments as the commencement speaker at Benedictine College. Butker urged the female members of the Christian college’s graduation class that one of the most important titles they can hold is “homemaker.” Butker, also Christian, must have felt he was amongst like-minded travelers at the religious institution. He used the occasion to “denounce abortion rights, Pride Month, COVID-19 lockdowns and ‘the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion’.”

At one point in his address, Butker says:

“I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think 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 are 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 the children you will bring into this world.”

I’ve linked to the address below. It has garnered over 1.6 million views on YouTube in about a week. As anyone could predict, the address is a new battle site in the culture war. Many on the Right are either embracing it, like Josh Hawley, or feigning befuddlement over why people find the comments problematic, like Bill Maher. Meanwhile, many on the Left are predictably condemning it…

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Roderick Graham
Roderick Graham

Written by Roderick Graham

Gadfly | Professor of Sociology at Old Dominion University | I post about social science, culture, and progressive politics | Views are my own