'Tracy Morgan must apologise'

30 Rock comic Tracy Morgan is under pressure to apologise after reportedly launching a vicious homophobic tirade during his stand-up show.

The comedian allegedly said that homosexuality was ‘bullshit’ and said that if his son announced that he was gay he’ would ‘pull out a knife and stab that little nigger to death’.

Audience member Kevin Rogers described the incident on Facebook, insisting: ‘The sad thing is that none of this rant was a joke.  His entire demeanour changed during that portion of the night.He was truly filled with some hate towards us.’

The tirade was apparently greeted with cheers and hollers of ‘You go Tracy’, although about a dozen people walked out of the show in Nashville’s Ryman auditorium. Rogers appears to be the only one of the 2,000-strong audience to have voiced any disgust online.

Morgan is said to have claimed that the ‘Born This Way’ campaign was ‘bullshit’, saying that homosexuality must be a choice because ‘God don't make no mistakes’ – and homosexuality would be a mistake.

According to Rogers, Morgan told bullied gay kids to ‘quit being pussies and not be whining about something as insignificant as bullying’ – and said Barack Obama needed to ‘man up’ and stop speaking out for gay rights.

With regards to his own son – he has three aged between 19 and 24 – the comic said that if he was gay he better come home and talk to him like a man, rather than in the effeminate high-pitched voice he then affected, otherwise he would be stabbed.

Morgan has not yet issued any statement about the row – despite calls for him to explain himself, led by campaign group Truth Wins Out

Its director of social media, Evan Hurst, said: ‘It is disgraceful for any role model to inject such hatred into the discourse.

‘The last year has seen far too many reports of gay or gay-perceived youths either attempting or completing suicide as a result of anti-gay bullying.  If Tracy Morgan indeed did say these things, he needs to respond immediately with either an explanation or a contrite apology.’

‘Tracy Morgan needs to respond to these allegations. Comedians have long pushed the envelope in tackling controversial subjects.  Indeed, it’s part of their job description, and good comedians are able to do this and keep everybody laughing at the same time.  However, abject hatred directed at vulnerable kids is not comedy, by anyone’s definition.  If these reports are true, we expect a full explanation and apology.’

The group also called on 30 Rock producer and star Tina Fey, who has long supported gay causes, to ‘forthrightly condemn any sort of anti-gay hatred’.

Morgan, 42, caused outrage over similar homophobic jokes made in Carnegie Hall, New York, in 2009.

Published: 10 Jun 2011