Tracy Morgan returned to Nashville on Tuesday to deliver an apology to gay advocacy groups and fans offended by his homophobic comments made at a stand-up routine earlier this month. Sitting at a GLAAD-sponsored panel table with Kevin Rogers, the man who sparked the controversy with a Facebook post, the '30 Rock' star tried to make amends for among other things, saying that he would "stab" his son if he were gay.
"I want to apologize to Kevin and people that were at the show for bummin' em out," Morgan began at the event held by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "I want to apologize to my friends and my family and my fans and everyone in every community that were offended with this. I didn't know. I didn't mean it."
As he has done in other apologies since coming under fire, Morgan told the press conference that he believes he is not a hateful person.
"I don't have a hateful bone in my body," he said. "I don't believe that anyone should be bullied or just made to feel bad about who they are. I totally feel that, in my heart, I really don't care who you love, same-sex or not, as long as you have the ability to love."
Since first apologizing on June 10, Morgan has met with homeless lesbian and gay youth in New York City. He agreed to the Nashville meeting at the request of GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. As to the sincerity of Morgan's commitment to gay rights, PopEater spoke to his close friend Russell Simmons, who believes the actor will walk the walk.
"He said to me, 'I ain't got s--t to do and I want a cause.' He says he wants to work for GLAAD and that he has found a calling and a cause. I believe he is sincere," Simmons said. "People have to learn and be educated and Tracy is a guy who comes from a community that is homophobic which is why he can be so helpful."
Rogers spoke before Morgan at the event and seemed convinced that Morgan had just made a "huge mistake" at the June 3 show.
"I was mainly just saddened by the words had to say that night because I had always assumed that Tracy was an ally to the LGBT community," Rogers told the gathered press. "So in the weeks since then, and seeing what actions that Tracy has taken upon himself to go out into our community and try and make a difference. I had the opportunity to speak with Tracy prior to coming here and he shared his genuine concern with his words and has promised me that his actions going forward are going to be positive of my community."
He added, "I greatly appreciate what he said and that he came back to try to right what I believe was just a huge mistake."
Source: http://www.popeater.com/2011/06/21/tracy-morgan-nashville-apology-kevin-rogers-hug-photo/
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