“I think I’ve always been accepted in the gay community because I accept them,” the fantastic Dolly Parton tells Larry King. “We’re supposed to love each other for who and what we are.” And while she may not know why gays are different, Dolly says, “You can’t tell me that people are any way other than what they’re supposed to be. I don’t think gay people are trying to just be different just to make other people miserable. I think people are being who they are, and they should be who they are, and … we should be a little more tolerant and a little more accepting, not just the gays, but other people, minorities, we just don’t have enough love.” Well said, my dear.
love her
Dolly Parton Has Just Wonderful Things To Say About The Gays
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Mr. Enemabag Jones
“Straight Talk” is still one of my favorite movies–James Woods notwithstanding. Love this lady.
Ryan
She’s just awesome.
And I didn’t know she never had kids.
Mothers are great and all, but I’d like to see more women in the media who never had kids and who just enjoy life, loving their friends and family.
It’s annoying that women today are almost manipulated into believing it’s their duty to procreate and that they can’t be happy without kids.
condenasty
Aww she is great…
Kieran
This is what is known as a “teachable moment”. Dolly was given the opportunity to instruct and she taught a lesson (in a friendly, non-confrontational way) that millions of people had the opportunity to hear and hopefully learn from. Thanks Dolly.
Imo
@Ryan:
dude you must be living on another planet.
it’s the girls wo have the baby dolls, and the
toy strollers, don’t they? yeah i know, society
makes them want to have those, what a complete bs.
i have never met a straight girl that did not have
kids her (often disguised) priority numero uno.
career is just a way to improve their future kid’s lifes,
which of course is fine.
Guess they can’t help it – It’s in their genes.
Phil Boyd
Classic……
Scott
I’ve always loved Dolly! She always seemed like the ‘Voice of Reason’ to me!
D.R.A.
@Imo:
Buddy boy, there are plenty of straight women out there who don’t want kids. Just ’cause you’ve never met one doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Now that I think about it…how exactly do you know that you’ve never met a straight woman who doesn’t want kids? Has every…single…woman you’ve ever known in your entire life told you about her child rearing plans?
I’ve never met an open agnostic before – so, by your standards, it’s safe to conclude that agnostics don’t exist, right?
jak
Dolly’s been a staunch supporter for many, many years. She has earned her icon status and not just for being a supreme talent, she’s a supreme human being with a huge heart.
Evan
What’s so amazing about Dolly Parton is that she says things that we all know deep down as fundamental truths about loving kindness, but have forgotten in our quest to judge and justify self-righteousness. She takes us right back to simple reason. No one could argue with what she said in that video. Her messages just make too much sense.
samthor
One more reason why I have to make the pilgrimage to Dollyworld.
Laconic Coil
You know, I distinctly remember back when I was a little babydyke that my favorite cassettes to wear out were the Indigo Girls’ eponymous album, Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits, and Dolly Parton’s proper debut, Jolene.
And, well, Dolly’s always been Dolly. She doesn’t really care about what people want, or what it’s going to be better to say, she is gonna say it because she’s Dolly. You get this beautiful, unedited, unscriptable person as a result. Thus, I love her all the more when she says awesome, lovely things, as she is wont to do, because they come straight from the heart.
ProfessorVP
I love Dolly’s music, especially the early years, the purity of her voice. But Dolly Parton being supportive of the LGBT community is like Bullwinkle being supportive of the moose community. This kind of thing happens over and over, a gay man or lesbian playing the magnanimous, reasonable and kind-hearted supporter. It is the Oprah syndrome, with a softer, more discreet edge, but equally annoying. Of course, somebody, at least one person will reply that old chestnut, “What’s your proof?” Listen, I have lived long enough to hear “what’s your proof?” about J. Edgar Hoover, Rock Hudson, Johnny Mathis, John Travolta, Clay Aiken, Ricky Martin and now I am waiting for Justin Bieber, any minute now, to come out… in SUPPORT, that is. Sheesh, is this tiresome, and also not helping much.
counterpoll
@ProfessorVp:
What’s your point? That anyone who supports –or is not opposed to the expansion of LGB rights is by definition automatically G, L, or B?
If so, please set my Mom up on a date with a woman, and my brother and Dad on dates with men. They will be gracious, I assure you, their dates will have a lovely evening, but that will not light an absent spark making them suddenly bisexual, gay or lesbian.
ProfessorVP
Let’s leave your mother out of this. The subject of the article, and my comment, was Ms. Parton. There was nothing to even remotely imply that “anyone” who is supportive… etc. etc.
counterpoll
@ProfessorVP:
So you ARE stating that Dolly Parton is Lesbian?
I am aware she is married, but that’s no guarantee of heterosexuality, of course.
What is the basis of your claim, other than the analogy to Rock Hudson et al.?
[I was kidding about my mother: Dad discourages her from dating!]
ProfessorVP
“What is the basis of your claim” = “what’s your proof?” Didn’t I write I expected that? Do you know why? Because people like Dolly (I am one of them) and when you like somebody you defend his or her honor, so to speak. And that is what you are doing. You are protecting her from a perceived slur.
Dolly Parton, to those who know a little about her aside from what her PR puts out, is a lesbian. If you haven’t seen much of her husband, it is because they haven’t really cohabited for years. If you haven’t seen her with other men, or women, it is because she is circumspect, and also not so hormone-driven. If you say you support gays and lesbians enough times, it takes the pressure off you, there is the implication you cannot be gay and support gays… you cannot support yourself. SF mayor Gavin Newsom would be a good example of a straight person being supportive of LBGTs. He is straight. Dolly Parton is not a good example. She is a lesbian.
The corporation of Dolly, Dollywood, TV, CDs, live appearances, would take a hit- not a lethal hit- but a big one, for Dolly to come out, because she has outrightly denied being a lesbian for decades, which would invoke the issue of lying. What can she say… “I couldn’t tell you because you’re bigots and you’d turn on me?”
counterpoll
@Professor:
I did not use the word proof, nor did I ask for eyewitness reports or photographs. I was asking on what basis you believed she is/might be lesbian, which you, I appreciate, provided. Thank you for responding.
In general, it doesn’t matter to me if she’s bi, lesbian, or straight. Same goes for other supporters or allies. Anyone who doesn’t join the chorus of those who hate us or seek to deny us human rights is alright by me. People who actively speak out or those who come out are much appreciated, certainly, but my energy is focused on the folks who make careers out of thwarting our progress and spreading hatred.
ProfessorVP
It would be unthinkable to ask, say, “On what basis do you think John Travolta is straight?” Naive people would reply, “Well, he has been married a long time and has reproduced.” What can one reply to that? That those who were in the Andrews Sisters Broadway musical in the mid-70s are still talking about his gay one-nighters when he was a dancer? That when he stays at the Mandarin hotel in SF- I was there at the time- there was a steady stream of men to his suite? That for decades he has gone to Canada for sex, as if people don’t know him there? That his sauna adventures didn’t start last month, it has been going on for decades. But no photos exist of him bottoming in saunas. But photos do exist of his wife and children. It is always easier to use “straight” as a default… if you can’t “prove” or if there is no “basis” otherwise… the person is not guilty, your honor. Straight.
People now care about Travolta’s sex life, although he is no longer an attractive leading man, because he belongs to a very anti-gay and hurtful church. And so catching him behaving naturally is acceptable now, because of the hypocrisy factor. Had he chosen to be more “supportive” it would have taken the pressure off him. People like Dolly, Oprah, Hillary Clinton and that dancing superstar Margaret Cho (she is married to a man) have chosen to be “supportive,” wisely for their respective careers.
Look at the names I listed in my first comment. There is a common thread among them. For years, many many people knew they were gay and said it, and there was always pushback. “How do you know? Prove it.” Yet eventually, their gay status became universally accepted. Sometimes it took decades. (I should have mentioned Merv Griffin.)
Merely not hating us is a good step, sure, but gays and lesbians who are misleading about their status actually do harm… they are teaching us- especially the younger crowd- that there are rewards in playing the “supportive” card. And in fact, yes, there ARE rewards. But these rewards are not excactly about addressing world hunger or saving whales… they are about plain ol’ money and power.
Imo
@D.R.A.:
You are right I exaggerated.
I know there are. I know 2 of them.
There are also four-leaved clovers.
Remember I allude to hetero girls only.
ewe
DUH GAZE LUV DUH HIX TOO. I am going to be tolerant of her because i like her and think everyone should support Dollywood but her face is truly beginning to look like Cesar Romero when he played the Joker in Batman. Bless her message though. She is so good at selling herself.
Ernest
Dolly is the most down to earth woman along with her family! I had the pleasure of being really good friends with Dolly’s niece while living in Nashville! She was FULL OF LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE! The whole family didn’t care that I was gay or in fact engaged to another man they welcomed us in open arms and treated us like any other! I can’t say the same for many other families, c’mon really, This is a lady who has done so much in her lifetime that she deserves a little bit more respect other than these tasteless remarks on plastic surgery and her tatas. Know people before you judge them!
hephaestion
Dolly helped a struggling Iranian singer I knew in Tennessee and she helped a young girl who has spina bifida that I know in Georgia, too. She has probably helped so many people the world will never know about… She just seems determined to do as much good as she can.
Soupy
She’s authentic. She can write and sing bluegrass better than anyone. I just love her like my mother.
SuperAuthor
Am I the only person who thinks that Dolly Parton is beginning to look like a Jim Henson puppet?