Dolly Parton Responds To Homophobic Dollywood Incident

What you all need to remember is that Dolly Parton and Cher are not remotely alike. Dolly has built her career on country gospel that is listened to mostly by rednecks. Her music is not aimed at the gay community what-so-ever. Yet, she has always been very outspoken against minority rights of all kinds, not because it broadens her fan base, but because it actually is, in her opinion, the right thing to do. She has made her career on giving back to the community that she grew up in and the world at large. Anyone that thinks she is a sell-out pandering to the gay community to make money is overly confused and must not have followed her career for the last thirty+ years. That being said, Tennessee is a very homophobic state, so you need to take that into account when visiting it, and trying to bring special attention to yourself is just moronic.

Well Dolly  has to say that since someone has to pay for her boobs and hips.How many of these old timers really support gay marriage and how many just say that to get money from gays .My gays went to see her recently  at the show , i just bit  my lips about it .If i had to spend 100 dollars on dolly concert  i rather spend .99 cents for her vinyl at record store and rest i spend it on my new shoes to look better then her .We better start support a new gay dolly part-on !

I know somebody who went to Dollywood and she said nearly all the visitors were morbidly obese!

I've been there several times and seen the Confederate Flag worn on hats, coats and jackets.  That's offensive to some people, I would think.  Once I saw a swastika on a jacket-covered T-shirt.  But I think most people go to Dollywood to have fun, not make a statement.

i don't believe this couple was discriminated against. dollywood has a strict policy, as Dolly stated herself, and this couple should've respected that. 

Why should she have to apologize?  She didn't ask that the shirt be turned inside out!  Do you really think she sat down one day, and wrote the companies policies and procedures manual?  Maybe she wrote the Human Resources manual, the Benefits Manual, and the menu to the various lunch and dinner venues at the park.  She is an entertainer - who has consistently expressed her views on LGBT rights.  It should end there. 

I assume since she is also a citizen of the United States, she should also apologize for the debt ceiling crisis that has just been averted.

Let's not rely on celebrities to set, maintain and ratify policies.  That's what we elect officials to do, and hire managers to enforce.

As an aside - Dolly, you look great.

Thank you! If a person can't safely wear a GLBT-themed t-shirt in Tennessee, maybe she should move Dollywood to a safer state.

She does have a point, believe it or not. In Tennessee, rednecks feel comfortable coming up and accosting anyone who isn't inbred white Christian and to their liking. From a smart business point of view, thge last thing she wants is for her park to become battleground for any side... I can't help but think of Quentin Crisp, wearing his regalia in London during the war, and getting beaten up, but simply accepting what would happen as a result of his actions - not to say it's right, but it is what happens when you're changing things...

Ive been to Dollywood before. Its in  Tennessee. Not the most Gay friendly place in the world so I can see her point of view. . I did enjoy seeing the museum devoted to her many  wigs and meeting her brother Randy... who had a nice long feathered mullet.

You really get results, Musto.

So she's basically saying "We have lots of homophobes here and we cater to them by blocking your messages, but we're gonna say we're actually protecting YOU."