Katy Perry Edits Controversial Speech
Katy Perry celebrated the start of Pride Month with a pointed social media jab at Harrison Butker, kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. Butker sparked controversy last month with a commencement speech at Benedictine College, where he touched on various sensitive topics, including abortion, COVID, President Biden, and women's life choices.
In response, Perry shared an edited clip of Butker's speech with her 200 million social media followers, accompanied by the caption, "Fixed this for my girls, my graduates, and my gays – you can do anything, congratulations and happy pride."
In Perry's version of the speech, Butker's message took a more inclusive and empowering tone. The edited clip featured Butker saying, "For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you're going to get in your career?"
He continued, "I would venture to guess the women here today are going to lead successful careers in the world. I say all of this to you because I have seen it firsthand. How much happier someone can be supporting women and not saying that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world."
The clip concluded with a positive note, "The road ahead is bright. Things are changing. Society is shifting, and people young and old are embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion. With that said, I want to say Happy Pride Month to all of you and congratulations Class of 2024!"
Perry chose to disable comments on her Instagram post, avoiding both praise and criticism. Earlier this year, Perry announced she would be stepping down from her judging role on "American Idol" after seven seasons, once Season 22 concludes.
The controversy surrounding Butker's speech was primarily due to his remarks encouraging graduating women to embrace their "vocation" as homemakers. In his original speech, Butker said, "For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. 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 are going to get in your career."
He continued, "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 can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother."
Butker further emphasized, "I’m on this stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me. But it cannot be overstated, that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."
Perry's edited clip and her celebratory message for Pride Month serve as a powerful counter-narrative, promoting the idea that women can achieve success and happiness in any path they choose, whether in their careers, personal lives, or both. Her actions underline the ongoing societal shift towards embracing diversity and inclusion, making a strong statement as Pride Month begins.