Add openly gay actors George Takei and
Cheyenne Jackson to the growing list of celebrities weighing in on
Tracy Morgan's anti-gay comedy routine.
In a routine delivered last weekend in
Nashville, Morgan, the star of NBC's 30 Rock, condoned
anti-gay bullying and said he would stab his son to death if he found
out he was gay.
Jackson, a 30 Rock guest star,
said he was disappointed by Morgan's actions.
“I am disgusted and appalled by Tracy
Morgan's homophobic rant,” Jackson said in a statement provided to
gay
glossy Out. “The devastating repercussions of
hate-filled language manifest in very real ways for today's LGBTQ
youth. I've known Tracy for two years, spent many long hours with
him on set, and I want to believe that this behavior is not at the
core of who he is. I'm incredibly disappointed by his actions, and
hope that his apology is sincere.”
Takei, who is best known for playing
Sulu on Star Trek, criticized Morgan in comments made to
Hollywood
website The Wrap.
“When I first learned of it my blood
started boiling, but then, the more I read it over, you know, he's a
sad, strange man. He's an African-American who has been subjected to
bigotry and hate before, and for him to be perpetuating that, he must
be an insecure guy,” Takei said.
“It's really kind of sad to see that
and to talk about violence -- kill his own son if he turned out to be
gay,” Takei said, before joking, “His father should be very
careful: He might be the next victim of a killing rampage because he
gave him the name 'Tracy.' It's a very lacy kind of thing, poor guy.
Maybe that contributed to his insecurity and hence his homophobia.”
(Related: Chris
Rock defends Morgan's right to make anti-gay jokes, but Wanda Sykes
disagrees.)
Morgan apologized for his comedy set,
but gay
rights groups said they hoped he would do more.