🌈 Statement in Support of Bad Bunny, Freedom of Expression & Human Dignity

Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler | Universal Rainbow Faith

Today, I raise my voice in full support of Bad Bunny — not just as an artist, but as a symbol of freedom of speech, freedom of identity, and cultural resilience in the face of hate, mockery, and exclusion.

Bad Bunny — Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — is a Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist whose work, life, and impact transcend language. He is a proud American citizen from Puerto Rico, and anyone who claims he is “not a real American” reveals not patriotism — but exclusionary and exclusionary thinking that has no grounding in the values of freedom the United States claims to uphold. ([turn0news34])

Amid conservative backlash, the NFL has publicly defended its decision to select Bad Bunny as the headliner for the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show — a globally watched cultural moment unlike nearly any other.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stood by the league’s choice and has reiterated that the decision was made deliberately and with confidence:

“Bad Bunny is one of the great artists in the world. That’s one of the reasons we chose him... The platform he’s on is used to unite people, to bring people together with their creativity and talents.” 

Goodell has also emphasized that this decision is not being reconsidered despite controversy and that it reflects the NFL’s desire to present a performance that will be unifying and exciting for the massive global audience that watches the Super Bowl.

The league’s stance signals something important in a moment of intense cultural tension:

Art and expression are not removed from identity, culture, and humanity — and they belong on the biggest stages, even when discomfort arises. 

This response from the NFL — in contrast to critics who seek to exclude, demean, or erase — underscores an essential truth: Freedom of expression and cultural visibility strengthen the fabric of our shared humanity.

Bad Bunny himself has stated that he hopes his performance will be fun, engaging, and rooted in joy, telling audiences that fans don’t need to learn Spanish to enjoy the show — they need only to dance and to celebrate music as a universal language. 

And yet, even comments like these have been weaponized by some to suggest that cultural pride is un-American — a notion that is not only false but spiritually unjust.

The NFL’s defense of its decision is a reminder that identity is not a threat — and that communities who have been historically de-centered by dominant cultural narratives deserve presence, celebration, and representation on the world’s stage.

And so this moment — Bad Bunny’s performance, the NFL’s defense of artistic choice, and the backlash against both — becomes not just a cultural milestone but a moral opportunity. It forces us to ask:

What kind of world are we building when diversity is celebrated? And what kind of world are we accepting when diversity is condemned?

In response, I say this:

Love, diversity, and freedom of expression are not just cultural values. They are spiritual values. And they will outlast hatred, fear, and exclusion.

With faith, clarity, and resolve.

Rev. Paula Josephine Sadler

Founding Minister, Universal Rainbow Faith 🌈