Tracy Morgan Apologizes for Anti-Gay Tirade

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While performing in Nashville last weekend, 30 Rock's Tracy Morgan allegedly went on an anti-gay tirade. Audience member Kevin Rogers wrote on his Facebook page that Morgan said "'Born this Way' is bullshit, gay is a choice," and that "if his son -- was gay, he better come home and talk to him like a man and not [he mimicked a gay, high-pitched voice] or he would pull out a knife and stab that little N (one word I refuse to use) to death." Rogers wrote that it seemed "none of this rant was a joke. His entire demeanor changed during that portion of the night. He was truly filled with some hate towards us."

We didn't immediately write about this this because, unlike when Michael Richards had his infamous meltdown, no audio or video appeared. We imagined it would, especially given the public venue and Rogers' observation that "10 to 15 people walked out."

But responding to email inquiries, a rep from PR firm PMK*BNC released this statement from Morgan:

I want to apologize to my fans and the gay & lesbian community for my choice of words at my recent stand-up act in Nashville. I'm not a hateful person and don't condone any kind of violence against others. While I am an equal opportunity jokester, and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context.

The Ryman Auditorium, where Morgan performed, has also issued an apology.

h/t Scott Rose

sthrasher@villagevoice.com / @steven_thrasher

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Brandt Hardin
Brandt Hardin

If Mr. Morgan has that much hatred toward the Gay &Lesbian community, maybe he should pick up a sign and join The Westboro BaptistChurch.  You can see their fearlessleader, Fred Phelps burning in a neon pink Gay Hell on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot...   Maybethere’s room for Tracy to ride the unicorn?

Scott Rose
Scott Rose

Nicole.Chabot@pmkbnc.com, nbcumvpress@nbcuni.com To NBC Corporate Headquarters: Please know that "comedian" Tracy Morgan's two-line non-apology for a malicious anti-gay tirade he unleashed during a show in Tennessee has only served further to alarm the LGBT community nationwide of the danger that Tracy Morgan presents to LGBTers' psychological and physical well-being nationwide. "I was only joking" is one of the anti-gay bully's oldest and lamest tricks.  We do not accept having Tracy Morgan deploy that lame trick on us. For reference, below you will find an e-mail thread including Nicole Chabot's e-mail containing Tracy Morgan's fraudulent "apology." This was far from being the first time that Tracy Morgan has communicated with malice aforethought towards the LGBT community. The attitudes he has been for years conveying are manifested in such acts of brutality as the savage beating of the transgender Chrissy Lee Polis in a Maryland McDonald's, caught on video and still widely available on the internet. In his fake and unacceptable non-apology, Tracy Morgan said that he is an "equal opportunity jokester."  That is a fraudulent statement.  In his recent act in Tennessee, he said that if his son were conspicuously gay, he would take out a knife and stab him until he was dead.  Morgan is not about to say that if his son were conspicuously black, he would take out a knife and stab him until he was dead.   The "equal opportunity jokester" claim that Morgan makes is not acceptable.   There are many things that Morgan could at this time be doing to make amends for his lengthy history of gay bashing.  For example, he could be fronting the seed money and undertaking a fund-raising campaign for an NYC safe home for homeless LGBT youth.  About half of all homeless youth in NYC are gay.  Most often, they get thrown out of their homes with nothing to eat and no health care,  because their parents are vicious anti-gay bigots. Morgan also could be campaigning relentlessly over the next few days for New York State Senate passage of the marriage equality bill.  The State Senate session end on June 20. Morgan could also record a video, apologizing for all of his past anti-gay bigotry and urging people consistently to treat LGBTers with respect. He is doing none of these things, we have duly noted.  His fake non-apology is as though he had sneezed and believed he only needed to tell himself Gesundheit to make the problem go away for him and for NBC. The problem is not going to "just go away."  NBC will be held accountable for promoting a gay-bashing ignoramus who encourages psychological and physical violence against the LGBT community nationwide. Scott Rose

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