Dolly Parton apologises to lesbian couple after Dollywood banned pro-gay marriage T-shirt

PinkNews logo with white background and rainbow corners

Dolly Parton has apologised to a lesbian couple after one of them was ordered to reverse a t-shirt with a gay slogan when visiting her theme park.

Olivier Odom and Jennifer Tipton visited Dollywood’s waterpark Splash Country recently but park staff objected to Ms Odom’s ‘marriage is so gay’ t-shirt and asked her to turn it inside out to avoid offending other visitors.

The couple then went to the media to complain.

Last night, the country legend gave a statement of apology to ABC News.

Parton said: “I am truly sorry for the hurt or embarrassment regarding the gay and lesbian T-shirt incident at Dollywood’s Splash Country recently. Everyone knows of my personal support of the gay and lesbian community. Dollywood is a family park and all families are welcome.”

She added: “I am looking further into the incident and hope and believe it was more policy than insensitivity. I am very sorry it happened at all.”

Staff at the waterpark say they will review the policy.

Parton has a huge gay following and often speaks out on gay rights issues.

Speaking in 2009 about gay marriage, she said: “I always say, ‘Sure, why can’t they get married? They should suffer like the rest of us do.”

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments