After meeting with homeless LGBT teens and parents of slain LGBT kids last week, Tracy Morgan has now made his may back to Nashville, Tenn., and apologized to audience members and gay advocacy groups for his homophobic remarks during a recent comedy show.

According to PopEater, June 21, declared his apology at a panel, sponsored by the the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), at Nashville Convention Center. Morgan began the event by apologizing to Kevin Rogers, the audience member who, via Facebook, alerted the public to Morgan’s offensive anti-gay remarks during a recent show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

“I want to apologize to Kevin and people that were at the show for bummin’ ‘em out,” Morgan said 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 [was] offended with this. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean it.”

“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.”

Rogers also spoke of the incident and explained that he believes Morgan is sincere in his endeavor to become an LGBT ally.

“I was mainly just saddened by the words he had to say that night because I had always assumed that Tracy was an ally to the LGBT community,” Rogers said. “… 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.”

And Rogers isn’t the only one who believes that Morgan can make a difference in combating homophobia. Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, a gay rights advocate himself, spoke with PopEater and explained that Morgan will definitely be a helpful ally.

“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.”

It’s good to see that Morgan is making good on his promise to turn this negative incident into positive change, and hopefully, he’ll make good on Simmons’ words of hope as well. –nicholas robinson