Days after accepting "the opportunity of a lifetime" to host the 91st annual Academy Awards, comedian Kevin Hart said he decided to step down from the role.Hart had been criticized by some after years-old tweets surfaced in which he used homophobic slurs."I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists," Hart said in a Twitter post late Thursday. "I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past."His decision comes hours after he wrote on Instagram that critics should "stop being negative." In an accompanying video, a shirtless Hart said he wasn't going to "let the craziness frustrate me." Hart said he "loves everybody."The gay media watchdog group GLAAD said it has reached out to Oscars broadcaster ABC, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and Hart's management to "discuss Kevin's anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and record."In a 2010 stand-up special, Hart said "if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will."The film academy on Tuesday announced Hart as host to its February ceremony.