Katy Perry kicked off Pride Month on Saturday by putting a unique spin on the recent graduation speech controversy involving NFL player Harrison Butker.
Butker, 28, gave a controversial 20-minute speech at Benedictine College's graduation in Kansas on May 11. He talked about working women, Pride Month, abortion, and other topics.
Perry, 39, decided to remix Butker's speech to appeal to a wider audience. She posted a video on Instagram where Butker commends female graduates for their accomplishments and motivates them to strive for successful careers, shifting away from his initial focus on homemaking.
Butker mentioned in Perry's edited version that he has personally witnessed how much happier people can be by supporting women instead of assuming they are mainly focused on marriage and having children.
Perry's modified speech included warm wishes for Pride Month, which was a significant addition.
Perry showed her support in the caption by saying, “I adjusted this for my female friends, my graduates, and my LGBTQ+ friends – you are capable of achieving anything, congratulations and happy pride 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ 🧡.”
Despite the disabled comments on Perry's post, her fans showed their support by giving it over 100,000 likes.
Butker received a lot of criticism after his comments at Benedictine College's graduation. His opinions on Pride Month and traditional gender roles caused a stir, leading to backlash from those who felt his views were outdated and backward.
Despite the backlash, Butker stood by his speech and reiterated his beliefs at a subsequent event in Nashville. He maintained that women pursuing careers had been misled and doubled down on his views about gender roles in society.
