State Rep. Darryl Rouson has withdrawn his support of Dr. Jamal Bryant speaking at a high-profile MLK Day event.
Bryant has made anti-gay remarks which prompted St. Pete Pride and the Stonewall Democrats to ask the local chapter of the National Council of Negro Women Inc. to cancel his appearance at the Jan. 18 MLK Leadership Awards Breakfast.
Angela Rouson,who leads that organization, hasn’t responded to requests for comment and her husband emphasized Wednesday that he was speaking for himself.
“This event is about service to our community which should be inclusive to everybody,” Rouson said in a statement. “As former president of the NAACP a decade ago for five years. I sought to bring our community together, and I do not believe that Dr. Bryant will do that speaking here in St. Petersburg. As an elected official every one of my constituents is important to me.”
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