Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, known for his Christian values, expressed shock at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics featuring drag queens recreating Jesus Christ’s the Last Supper. Butker took to his Instagram Story to share his views, quoting a bible verse that warns against mocking God. He shared a bible verse from the book of Galatians that emphasizes the consequences of sowing in the flesh vs. the spirit.
Support for Butker’s perspective came from various quarters, including Piers Morgan, who criticized the depiction of the Last Supper by drag queens at the Olympics opening ceremony. The talk show host questioned if other religions would have been mocked in the same way and deemed the decision appalling. In response to the backlash, a Paris 2024 spokesperson clarified that the intention was to celebrate community and tolerance through the artistic interpretation of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper.
While some people sided with the Olympics committee and condemned Butker and Morgan, labeling their criticism as unwarranted, others found fault with the NFL star for his stance on the issue. One social media user suggested that Butker’s opinion was influenced by a discomfort with drag queens rather than the artistic interpretation. Another individual deemed Butker’s comments as disgusting and called for the Chiefs to part ways with him.
Butker previously sparked controversy in May with a commencement speech at Benedictine College, which many viewed as sexist and anti-LGBTQIA. His comments about abortion, IVF, and Pride Month were met with criticism for being derogatory and judgmental. Despite backlash from various quarters, Butker has stood by his speech, with support from individuals like Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt and teammate Travis Kelce affirming his right to hold his own views.
NBC Sports Boston anchor Trenni Casey condemned the content of Butker’s speech as dehumanizing and hateful, highlighting the presence of bigotry, antisemitism, misogyny, and homophobia in his remarks. GLAAD also expressed disapproval of Butker’s speech, labeling it as inaccurate, ill-informed, and out of sync with American sentiments towards LGBTQ individuals and Pride. Despite the backlash, Butker has remained steadfast in defending his speech, maintaining that he is entitled to his viewpoints alongside support from some of his peers in the Chiefs organization.
