Tracy Morgan to speak out in support of LGBT people

Following anti-gay remarks made during a recent performance in Nashville, Tenn. comedian Tracy Morgan has agreed to work with The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to speak out in support of LGBT people in Tennessee.

Morgan, who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, committed to meet in New York City with LGBT youth from the Ali Forney Center who have been hurt or left homeless by parental rejection as well as family members who have lost children to anti-gay violence. Those he will meet include Elke Kennedy, the founder of Sean’s Last Wish. Elke’s son Sean was killed by anti-gay violence in 2007 at the age of 20 in South Carolina, when another man called him a f*ggot and punched him so hard it broke his facial bones and separated his brain from his brain stem. Since that day, Elke has traveled more than 140,000 miles to speak in states across the country about hate violence and bullying.

Morgan also committed to participate in GLAAD’s upcoming “Amplify Your Voice” PSA campaign to combat anti-LGBT bullying.

Together with GLAAD and the Tennessee Equality Project, Morgan has said he will return to Tennessee where he will apologize to audience members who were offended by his remarks.

Morgan stated, “I know how bad bullying can hurt. I was bullied when I was a kid. I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it. I never want to use my comedy to hurt anyone. My family knew what it was like to feel different. My brother was disabled, and I lost my father to AIDS in 1987. My dad wasn’t gay but I also learned about homophobia then because of how people treated people who were sick with that. Parents should support and love their kids no matter what. Gay people deserve the same right to be happy in this country as everyone else. Our laws should support that. I hope that my fans, gay, straight or whatever forgive, and I hope my family forgives me for this.”