But 'questions still remain'

30 Rock star Tracy Morgan has issued an apology for delivering a homophobic tirade during a stand-up show

He admitted he went ‘too far’ with his material, which included a line saying he would stab his son to death if he came out as an effeminate homosexual.

Morgan’s made light of homophobic bullying, prompting a huge backlash after one disappointed fan posted the gist of his set on his Facebook page.

Morgan issued a statement today saying: ‘I want to apologise to my fans and the gay and 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 apology came after campaigners put pressure on him to retract his comments.

Earlier, Evan Hurst from Truth Wins Out 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. Comedians have long pushed the envelope in tackling controversial subjects.  However, abject hatred directed at vulnerable kids is not comedy, by anyone’s definition.’

The group said they ‘appreciated’ Tracy’s apology, but that questions still remain.

In a statement posted online, Hurst said: ‘Where do Tracy Morgan’s anti-gay sentiments come from?  What leads him to go only so far with anti-gay sentiments and then suddenly let loose with one of the most vicious tirades imaginable?  Does he understand why people — LGBT or not, in Tennessee and beyond — were so hurt by what he said?’

Audience member Kevin Rogers was the one who prompted the storm after describing the show 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 g,o 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.

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

Published: 10 Jun 2011