Comedian and Actor Tracy Morgan in Hot Water These Days

By: Shannon Ralph

Comedian and actor Tracy Morgan is finding himself in hot water these days. The comedian took to the stage at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee for a comedy show on June 3rd. However, the fun quickly ended when Morgan’s routine turned into a homophobic rant. Among other offensive things, Morgan reportedly said that gay youth victims of bullying are simply “whining”; that he would “pull out a knife and stab” his own son for being gay; that being gay is a choice; and that it is something that kids learn from the media. Morgan has since apologized for his comments amidst intense public criticism. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) does not feel that an apology is sufficient and has called on Morgan to speak out against violence directed toward LGBT people. GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios said that Morgan’s comments provide a “green light” for discrimination against LGBT people and called on the comic to “meet with parents of kids who’ve killed themselves or lost their lives in the hands of violence” and “homeless gay kids who have been kicked out because of their parents’ homophobia.”

Asked to comment on her costar’s rant, Tina Fey told TMZ, “The violent imagery of Tracy’s rant was disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the LGBT Community.” She went on to add, “I hope for his sake that Tracy’s apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian coworkers at 30 Rock, without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket.”

Wells said, Tina. Well said, indeed.