Latest news with #FloydBrown
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Kennedy Center vice president says he was fired over his Christian beliefs
A top Kennedy Center official says he has been fired over his Christian beliefs. Floyd Brown, a longtime right-wing activist with a history of anti-gay rhetoric, served for just over a month as vice president of development. Brown said he was sacked by interim Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, hours after CNN contacted him with questions about his previous comments about same-sex marriage resurfaced. Brown called same-sex marriage 'godless' and 'a hoax,' described homosexuality as 'a punishment' for America, and promoted baseless conspiracy theories questioning former President Barack Obama 's birth certificate and religion. In a post to X Brown insisted that his personal views did not interfere with his professional conduct. 'I was fired yesterday by @RichardGrenell from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,' Brown wrote on Thursday on X. 'My firing came approximately two hours after @CNN sent an email asking me to comment on my past writings and statements about traditional marriage and homosexual influence in the @ GOP.' 'Comments rooted in my personal Christian views, which I have made in the past, have no impact upon my work here at the Kennedy Center nor do they impinge on my interactions with colleagues who do incredible work for the patrons of the Center,' he wrote. 'As a Christian, I am called to work with others of different beliefs and worldviews.' Brown also shared the statement he said he provided to CNN: 'It was truly not my intention to offend anyone with my comments. I have never intended to attack or demean any person in my statements and have always shared the mission of Jesus, striving to love others unconditionally.' He further claimed that when he sought an explanation for his firing and requested to speak directly with Grenell, both requests were ignored. Brown stated that he was told: 'Floyd, you must recant your belief in traditional marriage and your past statements on the topic, or you will be fired.' He added, 'Needless to say, I refused to recant and was shown the door.' CNN reported that a source familiar with the Kennedy Center said Grenell had not met with Brown, was not involved in his hiring, and did not personally fire him. The Kennedy Center has also declined to comment on Brown's dismissal. Brown's abrupt firing comes amid a broader upheaval at the Kennedy Center since February, when former President Donald Trump named himself chairman and overhauled the institution's previously bipartisan board. Trump appointed Grenell - the first openly gay member of a presidential cabinet - as interim president, leading to a series of leadership changes and staffing cuts. Grenell has described the Kennedy Center's financial state as 'serious' and has voiced criticism of what he views as divisive diversity programming. 'We need to focus on common sense programming,' Grenell said in previous statements. Brown, who said he had been recruited to join the Center's development team, was responsible for overseeing major fundraising efforts, raising millions annually from corporations, foundations, and individual donors. His brief tenure had gone largely unnoticed until CNN's inquiry. Staffers reportedly raised concerns internally about Brown's past rhetoric and political background. Some questioned whether his history of incendiary comments, including criticisms of 'secular pro-gay culture', would alienate key donors in the traditionally progressive arts world. Brown did not directly address his past comments about Obama in his X post, focusing instead on his religious convictions. 'The amazing beauty of the MAGA movement is we have people of many different beliefs inside our tent,' he wrote. 'We are all working together in unity to Make America Great Again.' His firing has reignited debate over free speech, religious freedom, and the political direction of the Kennedy Center. While some conservatives have rallied to Brown's defense, others note the complexities of maintaining a fundraising arm in a politically and culturally diverse institution. Neither Grenell nor the Kennedy Center has issued a public statement addressing Brown's claims. The Kennedy Center, under Trump's direction, has already canceled upcoming World Pride events planned for June.
CNN
2 days ago
- General
- CNN
Anti-gay, Obama conspiracy theorist fired from Kennedy Center after CNN investigation
Floyd Brown, who lamented the legality of homosexuality and spread false conspiracies about President Obama, says he was fired from the Kennedy Center after CNN asked questions about his previous statements. CNN's Andrew Kaczynski details the far-right political activist's past.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Pro-Trump Kennedy Center Executive Says He Was Fired
Floyd Brown, a longtime right-wing activist, said on Thursday that he had been fired from the Kennedy Center because of his views on same-sex marriage. Mr. Brown said in a long post on X that he was fired on Wednesday by Richard Grenell, whom President Trump appointed as the interim leader of the center in February after he began imposing his grip on it. Mr. Brown said his dismissal happened about two hours after CNN contacted him for comment on his past statements on homosexuality and marriage. The Kennedy Center did not announced Mr. Brown's appointment. He said in a LinkedIn post this month that he had started working at the center as vice president of development. The executive in that position leads the department responsible for raising millions of dollars for the center. It was not immediately clear what activities he was involved with at the center. The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to requests for comment made outside business hours on Thursday. Mr. Brown said Thursday that his requests for an explanation for his dismissal and to speak with Mr. Grenell, who during the president's first term was recognized as America's first gay cabinet member, have been ignored. Mr. Brown claimed that he was told he would be fired if he did not recant his position on 'traditional marriage.' 'Needless to say, I refused to recant and was shown the door,' he wrote. Mr. Brown was the operative behind the racist Willie Horton attack ads during the 1988 presidential campaign. He later promoted conspiracy theories about Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, too. Mr. Brown has also made comments denigrating homosexuality in the past. In an archived page from one of his defunct websites, he lamented the victories of 'secular pro-gay culture.' 'Comments rooted in my personal Christian views, which I have made in the past, have no impact upon my work here at the Kennedy Center nor do they impinge on my interactions with colleagues,' Mr. Brown wrote in his X post. 'I have never intended to attack or demean any person in my statements, and have always shared the mission of Jesus, striving to love others unconditionally.' This is the latest episode in months of upheaval at the Kennedy Center. Mr. Trump stunned the cultural world in February when he made himself chairman of the Kennedy Center and purged its previously bipartisan board of Biden-era appointees, making his loyalist Mr. Grenell the president. Mr. Trump's actions have prompted criticism, and some artists have canceled their engagements at the center in protest. Mr. Grenell has culled the Kennedy Center's staff, saying it faces serious financial problems. He has also denounced some of the center's efforts to embrace diversity, saying it should promote 'common sense programming.'
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Kennedy Centre vice-president ‘fired for views on gay people'
The vice-president of the Kennedy Centre claims he was sacked by a gay ally of Donald Trump over his beliefs on homosexuality. Floyd Brown suggested that Ric Grenell, the president of the performing arts centre in Washington DC of which Mr Trump took control after taking office, had been 'intimidated' by a news article which relayed comments he previously made about homosexuality and gay marriage. Mr Brown said in a statement on social media he was threatened with dismissal if he refused to 'recant' his beliefs on homosexuality and that Mr Grenell, who is gay, refused to provide an explanation for his dismissal. But sources close to Mr Grenell have rejected Mr Brown's version of events. Mr Trump moved to take control of the Kennedy Centre soon after returning to office this year, replacing its board members with figures whom critics characterise as loyalists with scant interest in the arts. Sacking 'followed CNN questions' Mr Brown, the founder of the conservative Western Journal website, said he had been recruited as vice-president last month. In a post on social media, he said he was sacked two hours after receiving an email from CNN seeking clarity on his views about traditional marriage and 'homosexual influence' in the Republican Party. According to CNN, Mr Brown has made a series of anti-gay statements over the course of several decades. In 2023, he claimed on a conservative radio programme: 'Homosexuality is a punishment that comes upon a nation that has rejected God. They're debasing themselves and their humanity.' He has also criticised the 'acceptance of the open promotion of the gay lifestyle inside the tent of conservatism'. claimed same-sex marriage is 'godless', and attacked George W. Bush, the former president, for appointing a gay chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). 'It was truly not my intention to offend anyone with my comments,' Mr Brown said in his statement. 'I have never intended to attack or demean any person in my statements, and have always shared the mission of Jesus, striving to love others unconditionally. 'The amazing beauty of the Maga [Make America Great Again] movement is we have people of many different beliefs inside our tent.' Mr Brown claimed he was told he would be sacked if he refused to renounce his beliefs on homosexuality, although it is unclear if he was claiming Mr Grenell delivered this message personally. 'Needless to say, I refused to recant and was shown the door. My beliefs are much more common to Biblical Christianity,' he said. Brown's account labelled inaccurate Mr Brown added: 'My only conclusion is Richard Grenell was intimidated by a CNN story… so he pre-emptively fired me for my Christian beliefs on marriage.' A source familiar with the Kennedy Centre told The Telegraph Mr Brown's social media post was inaccurate. Mr Grenell 'had not met with Brown, did not know him, and was not involved in his hiring', a source told CNN. Mr Grenell is a long-time ally of Mr Trump, serving as ambassador to Germany in the president's first term. His name was floated as a potential secretary of state before Marco Rubio's nomination last year, and he currently serves as presidential envoy for special missions.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kennedy Center vice president says he was fired after past writings, statements questioned
A former vice president at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts says he was fired by the organization following a CNN investigation into his previous comments on gay marriage. Floyd Brown, who served as the center's top fundraiser for only several weeks, wrote in a social media post this week he was fired after being contacted by a CNN reporter inquiring about his comments on his personal website and other platforms criticizing homosexuality and floating conspiracy theories about former President Obama. 'Comments rooted in my personal Christian views, which I have made in the past, have no impact upon my work here at the Kennedy Center nor do they impinge on my interactions with colleagues who do incredible work for the patrons of the Center,' Brown wrote in a statement he said he provided to CNN and included in his post on social platform X. 'As a Christian I am called to work with others of different beliefs and worldviews.' Brown said he asked for an explanation for his firing and to speak with Richard Grenell, a President Trump ally and the interim Kennedy Center president, but 'both of those requests have been ignored.' 'My only conclusion is [Grenell] was intimidated by a CNN story … so he preemptively fired me for my Christian beliefs on marriage,' Brown said. The CNN story laid out Brown's history of attacking Republican leaders and activists for an 'acceptance of the open promotion of the gay lifestyle inside the tent of conservatism' and comments calling gay marriage 'a hoax' and 'godless.' A representative for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Brown's dismissal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
