Questions Whether Morgan’s 30 Rock Boss Tina Fey Was Aware Of Morgan’s Allegedly Hateful Beliefs About LGBT People
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Contact: Wayne Besen
Phone: 917-691-5118
Email: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
MEMPHIS, TN: – Truth Wins Out is alarmed at allegations that well-known comedian Tracy Morgan departed from his usual stand-up routine to unleash an anti-gay tirade during his June 3 performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Eyewitness Kevin Rogers, who attended with his partner and a friend, gives a firsthand account which describes how Morgan’s entire demeanor changed as he allegedly claimed that being gay is a choice, that homosexuality is something that kids learn from the media, and that gay youth victims of bullying are simply “whining.” Furthermore, he allegedly said that if his son was gay and “whined” about being a bullying victim, he would kill him, using words that will not be repeated here. Morgan is also said to have called upon President Obama to “man up” and stop speaking out for LGBT kids. According to the report, these were only some of the most egregious parts of this anti-gay tirade.
“In an era when strong role models like CNN’s Don Lemon are coming out, and public figures from the San Francisco Giants to the President of the United States are loudly proclaiming their support for LGBT youth victims of anti-gay bullying, it is disgraceful for any role model to inject such hatred into the discourse,” said Truth Wins Out Director of Social Media Evan Hurst. ”The last year has seen far too many reports of gay or gay-perceived youth 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 has worked under 30 Rock writer and producer Tina Fey since 2006. Ms. Fey has a long record of supporting LGBT causes, and so we would ask her to respond to these allegations as well. Reports of Morgan’s homophobia onstage have circulated for years, though if the Nashville reports are true, it would seem that his hatred has reached a new level. Was Fey aware of this alleged “comedy” in Morgan’s show? Regardless, we would ask that she forthrightly condemn any sort of anti-gay hatred coming from one of her 30 Rock stars.
“I went to Tracy Morgan’s show to laugh and enjoy someone who I thought was a brilliant comic,” said Kevin Rogers, who was in the audience that night. ”I left feeling like the joke was on me. For one minority to attack another minority in such a way, without provocation, is appalling and in no way humorous.”
LGBT people are still fighting for equality all across America, and many of our teens are still very much at risk. Sadly, reports of gay youth taking their own lives due to anti-gay bullying have become all too common. Tennessee’s gay teens are in particular danger as the state legislature has endeavored over the past year to make life as difficult as possible for them, going as far as to move a bill prohibiting teachers from even acknowledging their existence in schools. Tracy Morgan is a role model to many young people, including gay kids. If these reports are true, Mr. Morgan owes them, and us all, a full apology.
“Tracy Morgan needs to respond to these allegations,” said Hurst. ”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.”
Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that fights anti-LGBT religious extremism. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.
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Rod said “I am not homophobic and have no problem with gays, i have a problem with people looking for attention off of it…Now, all of the sudden 3 kids kill themselves and gays have “no rights”. OK, so you cant get married? big whoop?”.
It never fails to amaze me how bigots claim they’re not homophobic and then immediately say the most bigotted homophobic things. You think bullying gays into suicide is a joke and not being able to marry the one you love is trivial – you’re a bigot, a homophobe and a self-centred idiot.
It has nothing to do with “looking for attention” you a*****e. Its all about having freedom from assault, the right to not be fired from your job or evicted from your home for who you are and having the same rights as everyone else. Go f**k yourself you blindered homophobic bigot.
tracy morgan is a disgrace
This is tangential to the issue at hand, but the First Amendment doesn’t provide carte blanche to run one’s mouth. It guarantees freedom of speech by preventing Congress (and then starting in the 20s, every other government body) from passing laws that restrict speech. This is the only defense it does, should, or ever was intended to provide.
Screaming ‘FIRST AMENDMENT’ every time someone is called out for saying something abhorrent cheapens the Constitution as a document and demonstrates a lack of comprehension for how the Constitution functions.
Tracy Morgan may have a legal right to say what he did, but that doesn’t mean he should have said it, and it doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be made to answer for it. And his being made to answer for it by journalists, colleagues and employers isn’t a violation of his First Amendment right to free speech, it’s society responding to an individual that has expressed malice.
One of the most wonderful things about the United States is that we are free to believe and say what we want, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t responsible for our failings, and it doesn’t mean that there are not or should not be social consequences for expressing hatred.
I have fallen madly in love with Lottie. Thank you for so succinctly stating what I felt as I scrolled down through these posts. What was said was horrific, and I do not believe could ever be construed as merely a joke. Hate will out, as will ignorance, let us hope that his career will be the price he pays and serve as the lesson to others.
im done commenting, this makes me want to throw up, priya, yes its all attention. if you’re getting evicted from your own purely because you’re gay then yes poor you. straights, whites, blacks, kids, adults, everyone is assualted everyday. if the world were fair then what would anyone have to strive for. keep fighting for whatever it is that you are, stand up for all kids, not just gays, stand up for people that are forced to marry ones they have never met, get real right now. cry me a river. you all disgust me with your tissues and tears left all over this page for a comedian making gay jokes. youre abusing the freedom of speech, whining and going against christians. GET OVER IT.
Rod– thank you for inadvertently proving what is so obvious to any thinking person who is paying any attention to you.
People like you– and I do mean People.LikeYou.– are happy to tell us about your gay friends and family members, how you have nothing against gay people– NOTHING– and so on.
Who are you trying to convince? Us? Your many gay friends and family members? Or is it, as I suspect, just you that your are trying to convince? for as rochfoucauld noted, hypocrisy is the homage the vice pays to virtue.
All it took to prove the falseness of your alleged positon was three magic words, just three of them.
“going against Christians”.
I can conclude from that that you are a church goer, and most likely, you go to one of those trash evangelical churches that really, really, really loves everyone, and wouldn’t say either s**t or hate if you had a mouthful of it.
I’ve been listening to “Christians like you” my whole life. You are so god-befuddled that you can’t use the eyes or brain that god gave you.
you love everyone just so goddamned much that it is entirely too easy for you to avoid the very real harm you do to people you do not know, know nothing about, and who have done you no harm.
I believe that an overreaction to a comedians show which was not rated PG, is NOT the thing to raise the LGBT Flag over. I know there is extreme power in words, but I’d like to see it raised over something like beatings that occur. Then I a straight person who is kinda grossed out by gay topics, perhaps similiar to how someone gay would be grossed out by hetero topics, WOULD SUPPORT YOU.
Corey, if you’re not “grossed out” by Tracy Morgan’s death threats and calls for violence, then we have no need for your support, or the support of people like you.
Sorry, not supporting you on this topic. LGBT I have supported in the past. I have participated in events for this LGBT awareness month. Seriously, i’m not trying to be rude.
Corey, you already admitted you’re grossed out by gay topics yet you think it’s funny and shouldn’t be questioned when someone says they’d stab their gay son? You have seriously messed up priorities.
Never said I thought it was funny. The crowds booing him was good and appropriate!
Rod, you let your cover slip and revealed what you’re really all about with your baseless claim that we’re going against christians. No one here has done anything against christians, but like the fucked up christian you are you think if you are not allowed to oppress gays it is you who is being discriminated against.
You accuse me of the bigotry you know in your heart you are guilty of. You falsely accuse me of not standing up for all children, or people forced into marriage but it is you who is claiming that when some people are abused or denied their rights that that’s a trivial joke. When one group of people is abused that is not an excuse to say the abuse of another group doesn’t matter, but like the a*****e you are that’s what you do.
The only one here seeking attention is you a*****e. I hope you experience some of the assaults, attacks, and unjusfied firings you claim gays should have no complaints about. Then like the bigoted hypocrite you are you’ll be wailing to everyone who’s withing earshot about how suddenly it matters because its you. Go f**k yourself a*****e.
Cory said “I believe that an overreaction to a comedians show which was not rated PG, is NOT the thing to raise the LGBT Flag over. I know there is extreme power in words, but I’d like to see it raised over something like beatings that occur.”.
Cory, you’ve got a strange idea about what is worth raising the flag over and what isn’t. When a popular comedian screams that its a good idea to stab people for being gay that’s something to raise the flag over. The preponderance of talk like that is what motivates the many, many unhinged anti-gays to actually assault and murder gays and helps them to justify it in their minds.
I’m willing to bet that if a white comedian was onstage ranting about how blacks should be enslaved or murdered you’d be all for raising the flag about that – it just shows your hypocrisy.
[...] and was not funny in any context.”Meanwhile, Facebook blogger Kevin Rogers, the man whose post, “Why I No Longer ‘Like’ Tracy Morgan — A Must Read,” led to Tracy Morgan apologizing for his homophobic remarks during a comedy show in Nashville, [...]
Cory, I’m not surprised that you, a heterosexual man who is grossed out by gays doesn’t see this as an issue to get upset about. It doesn’t affect you in any way. You must see that you are in a privileged position here. There was never a fear that your father would reject you–let alone threaten to stab you because you’re gay. You don’t see why this is a serious issue because it doesn’t affect you personally and you don’t have the empathy to see why gay people would get upset over it. Were you upset by Michael Richards racist rant? Was that worth getting upset over? Is the fact that his career was pretty much ended (at least for now) after that seem fair?
[...] things got a bit crazy on Friday after Truth Wins Out broke the story of Tracy Morgan’s onstage in homophobic meltdown and then led the campaign for him to [...]
Does telling jokes during comedy night constitute a tirade? Almost every joke told will offend someone, except possibly the most innocuous knock-knock joke. I’m not anti gay and I do have gay friends, but I am also am a firm believer in “no sacred cows”. If you are easily offended perhaps stand-up night is not the place to be.
VS, obviously you haven’t followed the story very closely. Not one comedian has really stepped forward and defended Tracy. Chris Rock did for a second, until he realized how awful this was, and that — and this is what you’re missing — it wasn’t a joke.
And let’s also make something clear: I, the person who broke this story, am also a comedy writer! Anyone who thinks this is about being “offended by jokes” is not paying attention.
[...] I broke the story of Tracy Morgan’s anti-gay meltdown the other day, I had a very circumspect moment just [...]
VS–I know you’re late to the game, but take some time to research what the “jokes” were. They are a tirade–they’re not jokes.
Response to 116. (Sincerely)Thank you Daniel for painting the picture better for me. I understand a little bit better now. And you are right empathy isn’t my thing. Guess that’s the soldier in me.
I’m seeing the blog world is a difficult place to gain any understanding (1st time trying). One because when i write something and my intent, translates differently. Not grossed out by gays (Republicans maybe-joking)- I have hired employees who are gay and have known people who are, but the topic of gay sex a little bit. Yes, its probably phobia or something.
I would answer your questions about Kramer, but seriously I’d probably just get yelled at by black people on this site.
Thanks. An IM feature on this site would be helpful I think.
Thank goodness for free speech and true colors showing! I am not gay and come from a small town w/ little diversity. I can not watch a show that would employ Tracy Morgan and his hateful viewpoint or buy a product that supports him. Everyone should say what they think so monsters don’t wear hoods. As for Wanda Sykes, shame on you and your hateful condescending rant about LA being better than Tn. Brentwood co(NASH) is one of the wealthiest elitest co. in the US and people were so offended they did s/thing about his rant. YOU r ignorant miss sykes, but I wont hold that against California. No I am not from TN just not an idiot!
I know I’m late to the game. I did the research and I still stand by “no sacred cows”! I firmly believe a comedian should be free to thread anywhere, N-word, holocaust jokes, gay jokes, straight jokes, mother Theresa jokes… It’s a show that people pay for by a comedian that should be free to say whatever he wants. Whoever doesn’t like it can walk out and ask for a refund. Anyone who starts a boycott is making a mistake. Would you consider censoring books? There are plenty that contain more offensive language than what Tracy said.
The problem in Morgans case was that he stopped making jokes and launched into a bizarre, off-the cuff quasi-sermon that debased and dehumanized gay people. He only got in trouble when he stopped telling jokes.
I’ve heard a few people talk like this when I was in highschool… something like they would “beat the gay” out of their child and they were laughing. I was so angry and I might’ve said something except for the fact they often bullied me too. I wouldn’t be surprised if steam was shooting out my ears.
Maybe if people like Tracy saw how many people support the LGBTQ people he wouldn’t be so quick to say those things. I’d like to encourage people to get a free rainbow wristband from rainbowdelegation.org and show support worldwide!
Also I am a straight-ally from and open and affirming church, my youth pastor is gay, the rainbow wristband delegation started in my city, and I just marched in the Gay Pride Parade recently (with my church). I’m so proud of what is going on in my city!
VS-
Boycotting is not the same as censoring, boycotting is personally not choosing to be involved in, in order to discourage. It is not taking a book out of your hands, it is not reading the book yourself.
Also, I’d almost agree with you, but this reaches farther. Violence against children isn’t funny. Heck, violence against anyone isn’t funny. I think that’s where he crossed the line, children.
Very true, this wasn’t a joke, it was real hate.
Wayne said: “The problem in Morgans case was that he stopped making jokes and launched into a bizarre, off-the cuff quasi-sermon that debased and dehumanized gay people. He only got in trouble when he stopped telling jokes.”
Absolutely right Wayne. This is exactly what Micheal Richards did when he got into trouble. If he was telling a joke or playing an offensive character at the time there would be more room for doubt–as it is there is none.
I’m late to the game, too, but can I just say – wow. Something is very wrong with Tracy Morgan’s world, and I don’t think it’s what he thinks it is.
I don’t understand the people saying that he’s just a COMEDIAN, this is his JOB, can’t you take a JOKE and stop WHINING and shut up just shutupshutupshutUP because FREEEEE SPEEEEEEEEEECH. That’s a lot of stupid there to try and wrap your arms around, but here’s what really baffles me: this is your idea of competent standup? Guys?
I mean, yeah, if you think Morgan was just telling it like it is, then you’re a bigot. Simple. But if you think that he was being funny then I… I don’t know what to say. Except that’s not what jokes look like.
Sarah, you may not have been paying attention but Tennessee recently passed a law which makes it illegal to talk about GLBT people in schools. This is what Wanda Sykes was talking about.
This topic really brought out a lot of people with a sketchy idea of what “free speech” is about. Yes, Morgan had a right to say what he said and gay people have a right to condemn him, call him a bigot, and protest and call for a boycott on his television show.
[...] up about the incident, to all of you who expressed your outrage last week including our friends at Truth Wins Out and HRC, to the celebrities and public figures who took this as an opportunity to stand [...]
[...] immediately after Truth Wins Out‘s article and some calls from GLAAD, Tracy’s publicist issued what has become a [...]
Read this blog post about Tracy Morgan’s homophobia http://blueopt.blogspot.com/2011/06/tracy-morgans-gay-bashing-rant.html
This was not a funny joke. And I think he knows it wasn’t a funny joke, he has made his apologys for it. And even though I think he should have known better before he said it,I think it is time to let this go.After all apologys have been made and hopefully the dude learned to think a little bit more, before he opens his mounth and lets something stupid come out.
The blind leads the blind. If you want to keep telling yourself lies – that homosexuality is acceptable – you will eventually die in your delusions that God accepts you as you are, sin and all. God is holy and as such, He CAN NOT allow any sin or those who hold to it into His presence (in the span of eternity). It is possible that God may allow it for a short time – assuming that you are a “new convert” to the christian life. However, God calls on all christians “to love our neighbor”; there is no exception and there is no reference in this passage to any kind of sexual interaction. To believe anything different is an abberation of the Holy Scriptures.
Curtis, it’s 2011. Do you really believe that nonsense? Seriously?
Curtis…it is obviously very difficult for you to live in a modern world when you cling to Bronze Age tribal traditions to support your hatred for gays. There are plenty of born-again, Spirit-indwelt gay xtians in this world and they are no doubt closer to God than you will ever be. Something to think about, hmm?
Oh, Curtis, grow up.
So, sin is like Kryptonite to God? So much for him being ALL powerful.
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