Comedian Tracy Morgan Returns To Tennessee
Comedian Tracy Morgan Returns To Tennessee
Tracy Morgan meets with local LGBT advocates in Tennessee 6/21/11 - Read more...
Photo 1: Tracy Morgan, Images courtesy of RhinoPic.com (Walter)
Photo 2: Kevin Rogers, Tracy Morgan, Herndon Graddick (Senior Director of Programs, GLAAD), Images courtesy of RhinoPic.com (Walter)
Photo 3: Dwayne Jenkins (Brothers United), Phil Mical Thomas (Brothers United), Marisa Richmond, PH.D. (Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition), Wes Aull (Tennessee Equality Project), Tracy Morgan, Tracy Morgan’s fiancée, Kevin Rogers, Patrick Katie Cleek, Cynthia Wagner (couple who was at the comedy show), Herndon Graddick (GLAAD), Images courtesy of RhinoPic.com (Walter)
Update: Tracy Morgan returns to Tennessee to apologize for anti-gay remarks
On June 21, Comedian Tracy Morgan met with GLAAD, local advocates and the media in Nashville today to apologize for anti-gay remarks made during a June 3 stand-up performance.
“I apologize to Kevin and people that were at the show,” Morgan said. “I want to apologize to my friends, and my family and my fans and everyone in every community who were offended with this. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean it… I don’t have a hateful bone in my body. I don’t believe that anyone should be bullied or just made to feel bad about who they are. I totally feel that, in my heart, I don’t care who you love, same-sex or not, as long as you have the ability to love… I don’t really see gay or straight, I just see human beings now… From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to everybody… To err is human, to forgive is divine… Thank you everybody for forgiving me.”
Two weeks ago, GLAAD, HRC, Truth Wins Out, bloggers and community members called on Morgan to apologize for the anti-gay tirade and urged the ‘30 Rock’ star to speak out against anti-LGBT violence.
During the controversial performance, Morgan reportedly claimed that being gay is a choice, that being gay is something that kids learn from the media, that young victims of anti-gay bullying are simply “whining,” and stated that if “his son were gay … he would pull out a knife and stab [him].”
After the incident, GLAAD also called on Morgan to meet with homeless LGBT youth shunned by their families because of who they are, as well as families who’ve lost loved ones to anti-LGBT violence.
Morgan heeded GLAAD’s call and met with LGBT youth on Friday from the Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest organization serving homeless LGBT youth. Morgan also met with Elke Kennedy, whose son Sean was tragically murdered in an anti-gay hate crime.
Tracy Morgan meets with LGBT youth from Ali Forney Center in NYC
Tracy Morgan meets with Elke Kennedy and John Parker from Sean's Last Wish and LGBT Youth at the Ali Forney Center - 6/17/11
Left to Right: Jim Parker, Elke Kennedy, Tracy Morgan and fiancée, Jayden Love, Raciel Castillo, Sharda Sekaran (GLAAD), Carl Siciliano (Ali Forney Center)
Further Reading:
Blog Posts
- http://glaadblog.org/2011/06/21/update-tracy-morgan-returns-to-tennessee-to-apologize-for-anti-gay-remarks/
- http://glaadblog.org/2011/06/20/tracy-morgan-to-meet-with-lgbt-advocates-and-publicly-apologize-in-nashville-tomorrow/
- http://glaadblog.org/2011/06/10/tracy-morgan-anti-gay-allegations/
- http://glaadblog.org/2011/06/10/update-tracy-morgan-has-apologized/
- http://glaadblog.org/2011/06/10/glaads-offer-to-tracy-morgan/
- http://glaadblog.org/2011/06/10/glaad-calls-on-nbc-to-condemn-tracy-morgan-tirade/
- http://glaadblog.org/2011/06/10/nbcs-tina-fey-and-bob-greenblatt-respond-to-tracy-morgans-rant/
- http://glaadblog.org/2011/06/13/tracy-morgan-to-meet-with-glaad-lgbt-youth-and-families/
Media Releases
- Tracy Morgan Speaks out for LGBT Equality in Nashville - June 21, 2011
- Comedian Tracy Morgan Meets with Homeless LGBT Youth, Schedules Return to Tennessee - June 17, 2011
- Tracy Morgan to GLAAD: "Parents should support and love their kids no matter what." - June 13, 2011
- GLAAD Continues to Call for Tracy Morgan to Speak Out - June 10, 2011
- GLAAD Call on Comedian Tracy Morgan to Meet with Youth & Families Impacted by Anti-Gay Violence - June 10, 2011
Media Inquiries: Rich Ferraro, Director of Communications (646) 871-8011 ferraro@glaad.org
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