Miffed Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker doubled down on his controversial commencement speech telling women to focus on being homemakers — saying he had no regrets despite sparking a "shocking level of hate."
During remarks at a Catholic school's fundraising event in Nashville, Tennessee, Butker made his first public comments since saying female college graduates were probably "most excited" about getting married and having kids.
"If it wasn't clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now," Butker told attendees at the Regina Caeli Academy's "Courage Under Fire" gala on Friday, according to a video clip posted on social media.
The Catholic nuns who operate Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas where Butker sparked his uproar have issued a statement saying his comments do not represent the Catholic school's values.
The statement said the focus of the school is to cultivate a "compassionate heart" among both male and female students.
Butker said that during the initial response to his May 11 speech at Benedictine, "many people expressed a shocking level of hate."
But as "the days went on, even those who disagreed with my viewpoints shared their support for my freedom of religion," he said.
Butker also said that while he received both praise and criticism for his work as a professional athlete, "the more I've talked about what I value most — which is my Catholic faith — the more polarizing I've become."
"It's a decision I've consciously made and one I do not regret at all," he said.
In addition to his comments about women's careers and motherhood, Butker's commencement speech included telling male graduates to fight the "cultural emasculation of men," and suggested that gay pride was a "deadly sin."
Following an uproar over the remarks, the NFL distanced itself from Butker.
"His views are not those of the NFL as an organization," senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane said. "The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger."
