Earlier this month, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made some controversial comments during a commencement address in which he mocked LGBTQ Pride Month, criticized transgender people, and suggested that women should be “homemakers.” And this week, teammate Travis Kelce offered his reaction to Butker’s words.
In the latest episode of his New Heights podcast with his brother Jason Kelce, Travis Kelce made it clear that while he does not agree with most of what Harrison Butker said, he still respects and supports his teammate and values him as a friend.
“I cherish him as a teammate. I think [Patrick Mahomes] said it best where he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate,” Kelce said on the podcast.
“He’s treated family and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness. And that’s how he treats everyone. When it comes down to his views and what he said at Saint Benedict’s commencement speech, those are his. I can’t say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids. And I don’t think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views, of how to go about life, that’s just not who I am.”
Kelce said that as a result of his upbringing, he has learned not to judge others for any of their beliefs.
“I grew up in a beautiful upbringing of different social classes, different religions, different races and ethnicities, in Cleveland Heights, and that’s why I love Cleveland Heights for what it was,” he said.
“It showed me a broad spectrum, just a broad view of a lot of different walks of life. And I appreciated every single one of those people for different reasons, and I never once had to feel like I needed to judge them, based off of their beliefs.”
Kelce may not have agreed with what Butker said, but it doesn’t sound like he’s going to let it impact their relationship as teammates.
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