Taylor Swift Fans Slam Chiefs’ Harrison Butker for Mentioning Her in Controversial Graduation Speech

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is facing backlash for controversial comments he made in a graduation commencement speech, and Taylor Swift fans are leading the charge. The professional athlete used Taylor’s lyrics in his speech, while also criticizing working women, taking aim at the LGBTQ+ community and more.

Although Harrison, 28, didn’t reference Taylor, 34, by name, he referred to her through her relationship with Travis Kelce by telling the Benedictine College graduating students, “As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘Familiarity breeds contempt.’” The quote is a lyric from Taylor’s 2022 hit “Bejeweled.”

During his May 11 speech, the football player insinuated that women should stay home and raise children instead of working. “For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment,” Harrison said in his 20-minute address. “I want to speak directly to you 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 this stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are 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.”

Harrison said that his own wife, Isabelle, “would be the first to say her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and mother.” He praised his partner for “[embracing] one of the most important titles of all: Homemaker.”

While speaking to the male students, Harrison urged the graduates to “be unapologetic in your masculinity” and “fight against the cultural emasculation of men.” He added, “Part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction and chaos set in.”

The field goal kicker has been open about his conservative Catholic beliefs in the past and called Pride Month a “deadly sin” while speaking about the LGBTQ+ community in his speech.

Backlash began pouring in on social media after Harrison’s speech went viral. Swifties were especially upset to hear the Georgia native use the pop star’s lyrics in his “misogynistic” speech.

“Who’s going to tell Harrison Butker you can’t quote Taylor Swift when being a misogynistic d--khead,” one person wrote on X. Another added, “Oh, Harrison Butker, I don’t think you grasped the message of the Taylor Swift song you quoted. Go listen to all her albums as homework.”

Someone else shared, “The fact that Harrison Butker who plays on the chiefs was this homophobic AND brought up a Taylor Swift lyric to prove his point that women should be homemakers and that abortion is murder is disgusting.”

Taylor and Travis, 34, have not commented on the speech.