One of the stars of the “Duck Dynasty” TV series, which is embroiled in a controversy over anti-gay statements, will address the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) annual convention.
The AFBF announced Monday that series co-star Alan Robertson, known as the beardless brother on the show, will be keynoting the January convention.
Robertson’s father Phil Robertson was suspended from the show by A&E last week, after he made disparaging remarks about homosexuality in an interview with GQ magazine in which he compared it to bestiality. The suspension prompted a conservative backlash.
{mosads}Alan Robertson was not implicated in the remarks.
“Before rejoining Duck Commander in 2012, Alan was a full-time minister at White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ in Louisiana for more than 25 years. He and his wife, Lisa, enjoy helping carry out the family’s commitment to spreading the gospel of Christ through their love of hunting and the great outdoors,” AFBF said in a press release.
AFBF is a lobbying powerhouse in Washington and a core player in the current effort to pass a five-year farm bill.
In addition to Robertson, the AFBF convention will hear from Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who lost his job as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan after he insulted Vice President Biden and other administration officials in a Rolling Stone interview.