Tracy Morgan made some seriously homophobic remarks at a show in Nashville last week, according to one person who was there. Of the people who attended the show, in an auditorium that seats 2,300, one took to the Internet to describe Morgan’s set, which apparently included statements that being gay is a choice, that if his son were gay he would stab him, and that kids who are bullied should stop whining about it. Audience member Kevin Rogers wrote about the show and brought it to the attention of the Tennessee Equality Project, after which it percolated up to Truth Wins Out, and now here we are. This is not the first time Morgan’s been accused of homophobia; people have been walking out of his shows for the same reason since 2009, and he performed a similar set in Nashville a year ago. Whatever his 30 Rock character, people who want to see his stand up should be prepared: Tracy Morgan’s live shows are really raunchy and homophobic! Morgan’s act seems particularly egregious given that 30 Rock won a GLAAD Media Award this year, but he has long insisted that’s he’s “much more far-out” than his character. So far, Morgan’s rep has declined to comment, the venue in Nashville “regrets that people were offended” but won’t say how many people if any actually complained, and NBC hasn’t responded to our requests for a comment.
Update: Morgan released a statement saying, “I want to apologize 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.” [Facebook, Advocate, NYT]