Harrison Butker gave another speech over the weekend, and he doubled down on his Benedictine College speech that was homophobic and misogynistic.
His most recent speech this weekend came at another educational institution, this time at the Regina Caeli Academy. The RCA is a growing network of Catholic hybrid homeschooling, which is becoming more and more popular with conservative and Christian parents.
The theme of the night was “Courage under fire.” Butker took the opportunity to espouse his own courage while failing to address the deeply homophobic, misogynist views he shared in his speech two weeks ago.
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It’s interesting that he would toot his own horn, given he said just two weeks ago that “pride” is a deadly sin.
“If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now,” Butker said in his latest speech. “As to be expected, 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.”
There was no doubt from the jump that Butker had thought through and carefully and thoughtfully chosen every word he said in that infamous speech that was full of awful views about the gays, trans people, women and more.
Yet his hiding behind his “Catholic faith” is undermined by the nuns at Benedictine College making very clear he is not speaking for the “Catholic faith.”
The anti-gay, anti-woman views Butker shared in his much-panned speech are his own. Hiding behind the Bible is simply a scapegoat, as the nuns made clear.
“Being courageous starts with the small things,” Butker said in his five-minute RCA speech. “Being disliked and mischaracterized by some is nothing compared to finding yourself in a lion’s den.”
A couple things to unpack there.
First, no one we’ve seen “mischaracterized” his speech. It was full of homophobia and misogyny. It was clear to me from his “stay in your lane” speech that he has a very particular view of where women belong in society. He also equated the LGBTQ community with a “deadly sin.”
Second, his mention of the “lion’s den” is a reference to the story of Daniel in the Bible.
At least Butker is consistent.
To be clear, I absolutely defend his ability to legally say whatever he wants. This is “a free country,” as I’m reminded by idiots on X.
Butker has the legal right to say what he wants. And so do I.
His view of Catholicism is awful. As the nuns have said, it is divisive at best. It’s also cruel.
Telling women they will be most happy in the kitchen? Who says that? Yet that is, in my opinion, what Butker said. To me, it couldn’t be more clear.
