Mary Altaffer/AP
Tracy Morgan is under fire for making homophobic comments during a comedy routine. Homophobic comments the comedian made during a June 3 performance in Nashville have become a hot topic of discussion online after a disgruntled audience member voiced his disgust on Facebook.
Kevin Rogers, who wrote in a Facebook note after the show that he's "been a big fan" of Morgan "since his days at SNL," went into the show expecting "a good ribbing of straight gay humor."
"What I can't take is when Mr. Morgan took it upon himself to mention about how he feels all this gay s--t was crazy and that women are a gift from God and that 'Born this Way' is bulls--t, gay is a choice," Rogers said.
Shortly after his on-stage rant went viral, Morgan issued a mea culpa for his actions.
"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," the "30 Rock" star said in a statement to Gossip Cop. "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," he added.
According to Rogers, Morgan, 46, said he knew homosexuality wasn't biological because "'God don't make no mistakes' (referring to God not making someone gay cause that would be a mistake)."
Rogers claimed that Morgan went on to say that lesbians are women "pretending because she hates a f---ing man" and victims of gay bullying should stop "whining."
"He said 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 recalled.
STARS WHO RUN THEIR MOUTHS STRAIGHT INTO SCANDAL
Morgan, a father of three, allegedly went as far as saying that President Obama "needed to man up and quit being all down with this just because he has a wife and two daughters."
And what seems to have especially saddened Morgan's now former fan was "that none of this rant was a joke."
"His entire demeanor changed during that portion of the night. He was truly filled with some hate toward us," Rogers said.
"As far as I could see, 10 to 15 people walked out," he continued. "I had to fight myself to stay seated, but I knew if I got up ... he won. He wanted to piss people off and get a rise."
And he did. But Morgan's apology wasn't enough for GLAAD, whose president said Morgan needs to "assure us that this won't happen again and send a clear message to Americans that anti-gay violence is no joke."
Jarrett Barrios said his organization invited Morgan to meet with families who have lost children to anti-gay violence.
"If Tracy Morgan is sincere, he should take us up on meeting these families who have lost loved ones to the type of violence that he is mocking," Barrios said. "Perhaps by hearing their stories, he will learn that while we all love humor, this is no laughing matter."
Rea Carey, the executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said that "hateful, homophobic language is not only hurtful and unfunny, it is also dangerous and inexcusable."
"It should not and will not be tolerated," she added.
Morgan's comments came less than two years after the Daily News' Gatecrasher column reported about a November 2009 performance at Carnegie Hall where there was a mass exodus after he claimed homosexuality was "a choice" and made other off-color comments.
The Ryman Auditorium, where last week's performance was held, has distanced itself from the "30 Rock" star.
"The Ryman Auditorium regrets that people were offended by statements made by Tracy Morgan during his June 3 appearance," a statement said. "The Ryman does not control the content presented by people appearing on its stage, nor does it endorse any of the views of, or statements made by, such persons."
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