Context:

Floyd Brown, a far-right activist known for anti-gay rhetoric and conspiracy theories about Barack Obama, was dismissed from his short-term senior leadership position at the Kennedy Center following scrutiny of his past comments. Brown's history includes calling homosexuality a divine punishment and questioning Obama's religion and citizenship. His unannounced appointment as Vice President of Development at the Kennedy Center raised internal concerns, especially among staffers, due to his controversial background. Despite defending his statements as expressions of his Christian faith, Brown claimed his dismissal was prompted by a refusal to renounce his beliefs about marriage. These events occurred amidst significant changes at the Kennedy Center, including a board overhaul led by Donald Trump, who aims to reshape the center’s cultural direction.

Dive Deeper:

• Floyd Brown was terminated from his role as Vice President of Development at the Kennedy Center after CNN inquired about his history of making anti-gay statements and promoting conspiracy theories about former President Obama. His appointment had not been formally announced and had sparked internal concern among some staffers.

• Brown has a long history of controversial statements, including calling homosexuality a punishment for America and expressing that he believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman. He also falsely accused Obama of being a Muslim and questioned his citizenship.

• Brown's role at the Kennedy Center lasted only a month, during which his past comments became a point of contention. Despite his claims that his statements did not influence his professional conduct, donors and staff expressed concerns about him prioritizing traditional political donors over the center's core donor base.

• His dismissal was reportedly influenced by his refusal to recant his beliefs about marriage, which led to a public critique of the Kennedy Center's interim president, Richard Grenell, who is gay. Brown accused Grenell of firing him due to his Christian beliefs, though Grenell did not respond to these claims.

• The Kennedy Center has undergone major changes since Trump was appointed as chair, leading to a shift in its board and programming direction. Trump's vision for the center includes reducing what he views as excessive liberal influence, resulting in backlash and some performance cancellations from the arts community.