Pro-Trump Kennedy Center Executive Fired Over Past Anti-Gay Remarks

Floyd Brown, a conservative political operative and longtime supporter of Donald Trump, said Thursday that he was fired from his role at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after being contacted by CNN about past statements opposing same-sex marriage.

In a post on the social media platform X, Brown said he was dismissed on Wednesday by Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell. Brown alleged the dismissal occurred approximately two hours after CNN reached out for comment regarding his past views on homosexuality and marriage.

The Kennedy Center had not publicly announced Brown’s hiring. According to a LinkedIn post earlier this month, Brown had joined the organization as vice president of development, a role typically tasked with overseeing major fundraising initiatives.

Brown claimed his requests for clarification or a conversation with Grenell were denied. He alleged he was told he would be terminated if he did not recant his position on what he called “traditional marriage.” “Needless to say, I refused to recant and was shown the door,” Brown wrote.

Richard Grenell, a former U.S. ambassador and the first openly gay cabinet member in U.S. history, was appointed to lead the Kennedy Center by Donald Trump in February. Brown’s post referenced prior remarks he made criticizing what he described as a “secular pro-gay culture,” comments that appeared on a now-defunct website he operated.

“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,” Brown wrote. “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.”

Brown is a controversial figure in conservative politics, best known for orchestrating the racially charged Willie Horton ads during the 1988 presidential campaign. He has also promoted conspiracy theories targeting former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

His departure marks another episode in ongoing upheaval at the Kennedy Center since Trump appointed himself chairman earlier this year and replaced the board’s Biden-era members with loyalists. Grenell has made sweeping changes to the institution, citing financial issues and criticizing some diversity programs as incompatible with “common sense programming.” Several artists have since canceled scheduled appearances in protest.