Kennedy Center VP Floyd Brown Fired Over Past Gay Marriage Comments

Floyd Brown, a former vice president at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, claims he was fired shortly after CNN contacted him about his past anti-gay statements and conspiracy theories regarding homosexuality and former President Barack Obama. Brown, who served only a few weeks in the role, refused to recant his traditional Christian views on marriage despite being told he would be fired if he did so. He accused Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell, an openly gay Trump ally, of preemptively firing him due to fear of the CNN story, although the center disputed Grenell's involvement in Brown's hiring or dismissal. Brown denied that his personal views affected his professional work or relationships at the center and requested an explanation and a meeting with Grenell, but both requests were ignored. The firing comes amid broader controversy at the Kennedy Center, where Trump-appointed Grenell has purged staff and faced backlash for changes in leadership and programming direction. The Kennedy Center has not commented directly on Brown’s firing, and sources close to the center dispute Brown's claims about Grenell's involvement.