Why do people still toss around homophobic slurs like it’s harmless seasoning? More importantly, why does Tucker Carlson —who was fired from Fox News — think it’s brave, edgy, or some kind of patriotic duty to say one on air? The latest episode of his self-titled talk show has given the LGBTQ+ community yet another masterclass in how not to discuss free speech.
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During a recent segment on The Tucker Carlson Show, Carlson dragged Piers Morgan into a stunt that felt less like commentary and more like a dare in a frat basement. Carlson cited a tabloid story involving Elizabeth Kinney, a woman who reportedly called her attacker a homophobic slur in text messages and was later penalized under UK hate crime laws. Instead of unpacking the complexities of hate-speech enforcement, Carlson immediately steered the conversation toward a pet obsession: whether anyone should be “allowed” to say anti-gay slurs.
Then came the moment he was clearly building toward.
Carlson Urges Piers Morgan To Say “Fag**t”
With the subtlety of a brick, Carlson challenged Morgan to say the f-slur on camera—yes, the one gay people have heard weaponized against them for decades. Morgan declined, obviously, saying he didn’t feel the need to hurl slurs to make a point about women’s safety.
Carlson’s response? A taunting, schoolyard-energy quip:
“You don’t want to get arrested, do ya?”
Morgan tried to answer, but Carlson cut him off with a mocking tone, implying that the only reason not to say the word is because some people find it “harmful.” As if that’s somehow a ridiculous concern.
And then, in a move that felt intentionally provocative, Carlson said the slur outright. Not once. Repeatedly.
He framed it as some kind of heroic stand against political correctness, claiming, “I’m using it because you’re not allowed to.”
NEW: Tucker Carlson tries getting Piers Morgan to prove he has free speech in the U.K.
Tucker: Would you say the word faggot on camera?
Morgan: No.
Tucker: You don’t wanna get arrested, do ya?…
Morgan: Would you use that word?
Tucker: Faggot? I just did. Faggot, faggot,… pic.twitter.com/GV7zqfOxvx
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 27, 2025
What Morgan Decided To Do With the Peer Pressure
To Morgan’s credit, he calmly pointed out that he is allowed to say it — he just chooses not to. Which, frankly, is the bare minimum of human decency.
Carlson doubled, tripled, quadrupled down.
He insisted he isn’t “anti-gay,” and announced, as if it were a moral revelation, “I can use any word I want.” He then pivoted into a defense of his character, saying his actions should speak louder than his words — though his words in that moment were shouting quite loudly.
Morgan soon flipped the dare back at him, suggesting Tucker wouldn’t say the slur directly to a gay person’s face. Tucker countered with a bizarre clarification: not in a mean way. He even tried to justify it by comparing slur usage to the N-word, arguing only Black people say that — therefore gay people are the only ones who should be allowed to say the f-slur.
The disgraced former news anchor claimed he’s worked “around a lot of gay people” in newsrooms and that they’re the ones who “use it constantly.” So in his mind, if queer folks reclaim a word, then anyone else should feel free to throw it around too. You know… logic.
The conversation then drifted into familiar Carlson territory: resentment, deflection, and a refusal to acknowledge the difference between free speech and hateful speech.
This behavior isn’t new. Carlson was fired from Fox News in 2023 after years of fueling conspiracy theories and inflammatory rhetoric. His biography, Tucker, even includes him saying that “being racist isn’t a crime.” He frames bigotry as something that might be morally questionable but not legally punishable — a convenient stance for someone who has repeatedly crossed public decency lines.
Carlson’s Free Speech Excuse Is Not Reason For Anyone To Become Homophobic
And that’s the heart of the issue here. Free speech is not the freedom to be cruel.
It’s not the freedom to escalate dangerous rhetoric under the guise of “just asking questions.” And it’s definitely not the freedom to pressure another public figure into tossing a slur on camera for shock value.
Every queer person knows the power of that word. It’s been used to humiliate, to threaten, and in the worst cases, to justify violence. Carlson pretending that saying it is some kind of brave stance is not only insulting — it’s reckless.
If Carlson wants to argue about censorship or government overreach, fine. Those are real conversations worth having. But daring another host to utter a homophobic slur on-air isn’t intellectual debate. It’s a performance. A cheap one.
And queer audiences? We see right through it.