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Tracy Morgan Apologizes to Fans, LGBT Groups Nashville

30 Rock star Tracy Morgan has delivered a personal apology today in Nashville, the site of his now infamous stand-up routine where he said that he would stab his son if he were gay, reports the AP.

Comedian Tracy Morgan has delivered a personal apology to gay advocacy groups and audience members in Nashville, Tenn., who were offended by an anti-gay rant during his June 3 show there. Morgan met with them Tuesday morning and later addressed reporters at the Nashville Convention Center. He did not take questions.

Morgan said: "I just wanted to take this opportunity to help and not hurt."

This is the second stop in Mogan's mea culpa tour after his offensive and violent rant. On Friday, the comedian visted the Ali Forney Center in Brooklyn to hear the stories of homeless LGBT teens rejected by their families.

Tracy Morgan Meets with Homeless LGBT Teens at the Ali Forney Center

Tracy Morgan continues his mea culpa after unleashing a vitriolic, on-stage anti-gay rant. The 30 Rock star visted the Ali Forney Center in Brooklyn to hear the stories of homeless LGBT teens rejected by their families.

Nineteen-year-old Raciel Castillo said his own father rejected him for being gay when he came out at age 12, sending him to therapy to “fix him” and eventually putting him out on the street. Castillo told his story to Morgan, as did Jayden Love [above], 20 years old, also shut out by her family [and] forced to live in an amusement park in New Jersey where she worked.

Also on hand was Elke Kennedy, whose son Sean died in an anti-gay attack in South Carolina in 2007.

Morgan spent an hour with the group, eventually leaving in tears, said [Carl Siciliano, executive director of the Ali Forney Center]. Those on hand told the Journal that they believe the comedian sincerely wants to heal his rift with the gay community. He did not make any comments to the press.

Love said she wanted to help him realize the sheer enormity of the homeless problem for gay and lesbian youth, who are more likely than straight kids to end up on the streets or commit suicide. "I told him what a low place I had been in without parents to help me," Love said. "I think he was really shocked."

The comedian caused a huge uproar after ranting on-stage in Nashville that he would stab his son to death if he were gay. Morgan said his remarks were "really stupid s---" and promised to meet with LGBT youth.Morgan is scheduled to travel to Tennessee with GLAAD next week to meet with LGBT activists.

Bravo.

Tracy Morgan: Probably Nothing is More "Abusive" Than Homophobia

PHOTO: GETTY

30 Rock star Tracy Morgan offers a mea culpa to Russell Simmons in a new interview at Global Grind.

"I guess the reason I am successful is because I am so unfiltered. And sometimes as a result I say really stupid shit. The truth is if I had a gay son, I would love him just as much as if he was straight ... I might have to try to love even more because I know of the difficulty that he would have in society."

And:

"Of all the sicknesses, there is probably none more abusive than homophobia. My heart is committed to giving everyone the same rights that I deserve for myself. I don't care if you love the same sex as long as you have the ability to love someone."

Morgan called GLAAD and shared some very personal memories:

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.”

The actor says he is most disappointed about his comments "about kids and bullying" and has promised to meet with LGBT youth and their families. Morgan also tells Simmons that he supports marriage equality and the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

In March, music and entertainment/fashion mogul Russell Simmons received GLAAD's Excellence in Media Award presented by the Rev. Al Sharpton. Both are veteran supporters of gay rights. Tracy Morgan had an early career boost on Russell Simomons' Def Comedy Jam.

330P on SIGNORILE: Tracy Morgan

After 3:30PM/ET: Catch me on The Michelangelo Signorile Show on Sirius XM to discuss the anti-gay rant that Tracy Morgan delivered during his stand-up comedy routine—and the reaction from LGBT media and activists.

The Michelangelo Signorile Show broadcasts Monday through Friday 2-6PM ET on Sirius OutQ 109. Get a free 7-day pass and listen online. If you have an iPhone or Blackberry, go to the app store and download Sirius XM for a free 7-day trial.

Fans Flee Tracy Morgan's Raunchy, Homophobic Carnegie Hall Show

Tracy Morgan's raunchy Carnegie Hall performance in New York City over the weekend was reportedly marred by numerous walkouts. The Daily News, the first to report the story, says many in the audience "walked out in disgust" only minutes after the 30 Rock comedian's homophobic, XXX "comedy" routine:

"People seemed to not be laughing at his jokes, but more because they were shocked and appalled with what was coming out of his mouth,” reports one audience member. Morgan talked trash about homosexuality (saying it’s “a choice,” which drew gasps), drugs, pornography and what he calls “politricks” — far edgier subjects than what his alter ego, Jordan, gets air time for. "There was a continuous flow of people getting up and leaving throughout the show," our spy reports, adding that many in the crowd clearly didn’t know what they were getting themselves into. Middle-aged women were the most flabbergasted when he started ­mimicking explicit sex acts on stage.

The Huffington Post adds a little more color, describing Morgan's routine that included highly scatological "jokes" involving rimming and buying a glass coffee table to "watch" his wife do Number 2. One HuffPo reader writes: "I'm an aspiring standup and I went to the show cause I love Tracy on SNL, 30 Rock, etc. To call it a disappointment would be THE understatement of the century."

In 2005, Morgan played a cross-dressing, effeminate, gay inmate in the remake of The Longest Yard. Clay Cane has described that as one of the all-time gay roles by straight actors "we could have lived without".