Dolly Apologizes to Lesbian Couple

[kpete]

Dolly Apologizes to Lesbian Couple
By Jeremy Kinser


Dolly Parton has issued an apology to the lesbian couple who felt discriminated against at Dollywood last month, saying she's sorry for "the hurt or embarrassment," reports ABC News.

As The Advocate reported July 20, Olivier Odom and Jennifer Tipton and the children of a friend were stopped at the entrance to Parton's popular Tennessee theme park when a gatekeeper noticed Odom wearing a T-shirt that read "Marriage Is So Gay." Odom was instructed to turn the shirt inside out before her party could enter Dollywood.

Parton's statement reads: "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." Parton adds that the policies on clothing or signs with profanity or controversial messages are in place to protect the person wearing the shirt and keep disturbances at the park to a minimum. Parton adds, "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."

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/08/01/Dolly_Apologizes_to_Lesbian_Couple/

[Ferret Annica]

1. Fire the perps Dollycakes, or shut your posturing pie hole

I find you unconvincing.

[William769]

I find her very convincing.

And support her 100%!

[LiberalFighter]

16. I do too. Especially since she didn't include "if they were offended".

She apparently does have a history of support the community.

[Ferret Annica]

75. Great, thank you for sharing William old bean. I do respect your opinion here.

[seabeyond]

2. wow, we live in an ugly world, dont we. amazing. she has been a loud spokesperson

for gays.

good diss, right across the jaw

[Ferret Annica]

34. If she is such a walk the walker, she should act and not be just a talker.

I still contend this person who injured the guest should seek new employment.

We sure have some FReeper grade bruising about my perfectly valid POV. But thanks for sharing.

[seabeyond]

43. you post a crude post dissing the woman who has always spoken out for gays

many people have call you on it and still hold your post up as perfectly valid.

as i say, an ugly world

[Ferret Annica]

74. Who dissed Parton? I just expressed an opinion on how this should of been handled

I respect her right to make a different choice of action on this.

I don't listen to her ever if I have control of what music I hear, but that does not say anything bad about her. I am sure she is a fine upstanding human being and I am glad she is loved by so many who like her music.

With all due respect, you are projecting. I don't know enough about her to even want to disrespect her. I wish her continued life, health, success and happiness. As always.

I just don't want to listen to her sing, thank you very much.

[Botany]

3. Dolly has been gay friendly for a long time.

Firing the person who asked them to turn the shirt around would just spread the hurt.

[xchrom]

4. Wow. That was ignorant? Dolly has been

A strong lgbtiq marriage equality
For a long time.

[w8liftinglady]

24. i was gonna say the same thing..Dolly has always been very accepting.

...and that takes MAJOR courage in the CW community.

[CBGLuthier]

5. perps?

LOL

You shouldn't talk about Dolly Parton that way. Makes you look ignorant.

[Ferret Annica]

10. The idiot who did this will just be more careful about expressing their hate next time.

And as a transgender woman, I have had my fill of talking the talk and not walking the walk.

Firing the perps that did this sends a message that this was wrong. Talking and not remedying this with decisive action invites a repeat of this happening with just a little more care to cover their butts next time.

[William769]

12. Have you ever been to Dollywood?

[Ferret Annica]

33. I would not go. She is fine as a human being, but her music underwhelms me.

Besides, I'm speaking of the employee who has a problem with gay people whom she should discharge from employment.

[dbonds]

6. Then you have not paid attention.

She is progressive.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bear425]

9. FAIL. n/t

[Ferret Annica]

11. 'fraid not.

[bear425]

15. Of the all the responses to your inane post, you chose to

reply to mine? Must have hit a nerve.

[hootinholler]

26. The fail is strong in that one, here's his boat...

[Ferret Annica]

31. Cute graphic, but it says nothing.

Have anything of substance to share?

[Forkboy]

52. You're complaining of a lack of substance after your first post?

:crazy:

[Ferret Annica]

72. My first post was merely an opinion about how I feel this should of been handled

'DollyCakes' is my own pet term for this entertainer. If people infer it to be meant in a derisive way, so be it.

I personally often refer to Lady Gaga as 'lady Gag Gag' because her style and singing always excites my change the channel genes.

I'm sure that in spite of my opinion on her art she is a very good preformer and a very decent human being.

I hardly listen to music anyway. Some people are just like that. A pet peeve of mine is how everyone has to put their music into my background noise experiance. But I am stoic about that as I am not hardly going to chang ethat about people in our culture.

I don't chose my battles so unwisely that I would start getting on a soap box everytime I am weary of putting up with someone's choice of music in the background around me.

I respect their right to listen to music and merely have a personal opinion about that. I don't own a stereo and my apartment is always blessfully quiet so I can think as I write or read.

And one of the reasons I like going out in the forest or wild is to get away from this aspect of human inspired noise always present in general society.

So, sue me. (Joking)

[Forkboy]

76. LOL...uh huh.

"shut your posturing pie hole"

[Ferret Annica]

78. Nope, I will not shut it.

And please, go right ahead and keep speaking your mind on what you believe. That does not bother me at all when you do so. ;)

[Forkboy]

80. Wasn't telling you to.

Just repeating your idea of "substance".

[Ferret Annica]

82. I'm not quite sure what your point is and wouldn't mind you expounding on this a bit

My 'substance' is a strong belief in support of the First Amendment. I see the action that generated the controversy as the wearer of the shirt first experiencing the consequence of running into someone who did not like the expression of free speech printed on it. Just as she or he who acted to censor this shirt now has the consequences of their action to deal with. And they have my congratulations they do not have me as their employer to deal with as I would fire such an individual acting contrary to the focus and views of Dolly Parton. They well should of known better I am seeing by the general reaction here.

And in this I have to base this on the reaction to my comment here, as I sure am not up to speed regarding Parton not caring for her material or singing style resulting me in generally avoiding it.

This news item dialog resulting in re-enforcement of the right to free speech, and this is good.

If my take on how the consequences should of run regarding the person taking offense to it result in people putting me on 'ignore,' I respect this and accept this as an exercise of the right of fellow interlocutors here to do so.

By all means, if you feel I am missing something here, or have feedback that is constructive, I welcome it your perspective. I am only human and never always right, so I am very open to listening to the point of view of others.

[Ferret Annica]

30. How so?

[Whisp]

14. I suggest you start with your yapple pie

you obviously don't know shit about Dolly

[Ferret Annica]

35. I'm not into her music, but I have said nothing in the way of an attack on her.

I said and believe this staffer should be fired. If you are so fragile about a mere opinion, maybee you should reevaluate the thought of venturing on the big bad old Internet.

[CBGLuthier]

57. Posturing Piehole must be a term of endearment to you

[Horse with no Name]

18. Anyone that is familiar with Dolly KNEW how she would react to this

she has been a friend to the GLBT community for a very long time.

[Ferret Annica]

36. Then why did this staffer not know this controversy would come up with such an action?

Is it that they don't know her? If not, then their lack of job ability should send them packing.

[Bluebear]

20. Ignorant

[Ferret Annica]

40. An opinion. Take it or leave it. I'm happy she is alive and doing well.

And I enjoyed her acting. Though personally I just don't like her music.

[ZombieHorde]

21. I know your heart is in the right place, so I won't jump on the dog pile.

We're on the same side. I wish you peace and happiness.

[QC]

22. Dolly was a friend of our community long before it was stylish--or even safe.

I believe her.

[Ferret Annica]

37. A rational response, thanks.

[QC]

56. And thank you. I really think we can trust her on this. n/t

[Ferret Annica]

69. Thanks. After this fasinating experiance on DU I will look deeper into that.

And I welcome her support. But I still thing that censoring that shirt should of been a firing offense.

Perhaps I am wrong, but that would onlu prove what I have suspected all along if that were so; that I am human ;)

[spanone]

25. more convincing than you

[Ferret Annica]

38. An expressed opinion is no drive to do a sales pitch

I posted the opinion in a take it or leave it manner. If you disagree with me, I don't care. But if you attack me over it, I will respond as whomever I post to seems to wish me to.

I am not backing down from my opinion.

[cynatnite]

45. Dolly is as true as they come. She has represented GLAAD...

She has always been a strong advocate for gay rights.

[Ferret Annica]

67. Great, and I welcome her support.

But I still think this staffer that got bent out of shape over that shirt is working the wrong job.

And I never here said Parton is bad or at fault. She is someone who is responsible to decide on how to respond to this. And I respect her right to not fire this person.

Just as I should be respected to have a different opinion on the action against this employee without people lynching me personally over it.

[bear425]

46. Why don't you entertain the option that the company

can use this as a teaching/learning opportunity to broaden the understanding of the LGBTQ community? Why call for the firing of a person in such a derogatory attack on Dolly Parton who has always been a friend to us. If you are truly part of the LGBTQ community, you would know the answer to these rhetorical questions... Namaste.

[Ferret Annica]

66. I am truly tansgender.

In fact, I am unemployed and just had the Veteran's Administration up my medication which is estrogen. They just upped my dosage.

I had to go to Pordland VA to do it and fought Roseburg, OR VA for a solid 18 months as they are very conservative and did not want to do this.

I am persistent, and I got results because I am tough, can be intense and relentless and proved that I am so fed up with mimicing a male in my 50s that I will focus on my goal of getting the medical benefits I deserve.

They still have a regulation that prevents the medical care such as a bilateral orchiectomy or other surgery that alters genitalia because of conservatives who don't want the VA to do this.

If I wan't tough, I would of folded a long time ago. And I don't do activism to be liked, loved or to pander. I do what I do because it is either important to me or because of strong personal feelings about a topic.

Which is why I nearly died in a fall doing a tree-sit in 1998 when my climb was interdicted by an aggressive security guard on site.

I pandered to no one in the local enviromental activist movement when I became well known locally for that. In fact, I alienated many because I criticised an action inspired by my incident when pumpkins as well as nike merchendize was thrown to the courtyard three stories below the front of that corporations's local store as people could of been killed had they been in the wrong place at the wrong time and been squashed by an orange variety of squash.

It taught me that it is better to speak truth and make friends angry at me then to be a dead martyr havi ng people putting words in my mouth and attributing all their own views on me.

I still thing the staffer who did the shirt censorship should be fired. And I do not dislike Parton if she does not do so. I don't know her well enough to do that.

I merely express my opinion on this. If that bothers you, too bad.

[K8-EEE]

53. I find Ferret Annica unconvincing

Unforgiving, mean, and cranky!

[Ferret Annica]

65. Fair enough. But this is just your opinion made without knowing me well.

I would never attack parton personally on this issue as I don't know her well. I have spent most my life ignoring her of changing the channel to avoid her voice and singing style as it is irritating to my ear.

I don't know all the details of her suppot, but just because she is supportive, I am still not interested in listening to her sing.

In any event, thanks for sharing yur opinion of me. This does not bother me. In fact, I welcome it.

[lunatica]

58. Your ignorance is showing. Maybe you should keep YOUR pie hole shut

[mopinko]

60. the t-shirt thing is a common practice in amusement parks

the great america park here will make you remove or reverse pretty much any shirt that isn't some sort of bubble gummy fan thing.

dolly is good people, and imho, a sincere supporter.

[Mimosa]

68. It's meant to keep out confederate flag and racist message shirts, btw.

Heard it from an insider.

[mopinko]

83. i 'spect around here it is more about gang stuff.

every area has their trouble makers.
but yeah, dollywood would have their share of that particular flavor of asshole.

[lumberjack_jeff]

7. She's all right. n/t

[Ferret Annica]

39. I'm sure she is. But I never said she wasn't.

[xchrom]

13. Now this thread has gotten derailed by something stupid.

Dolly is alright.

The apology was good & her looking into it further is good.

[Behind the Aegis]

17. +1

One poster's ugliness need not derail this welcomed news.

[Ferret Annica]

41. If folks can't handle an opinion they don't like, it's not my fault

And I will defend my right to have an opinion.

[xchrom]

47. & I have the right to point out obvious ignorance

That derails a a good point & maligns a good ally.

[Ferret Annica]

62. Who maligned Parton?

If she does not fire this clown that insulted her guests to this place, I merely do not concur with her handling of this incident.

Where do I insult Parton? I don't like her voice and style, but that doesn't mean I am going to go after her.

My favorite singer is Gordon Lightfoot. If a simular incident happened and a staff member did much the same and he did not let them go, I'd have the same view they should be fired and would stuill own all his recordings, have his autograph and cherish it.

You people are just too much on this.

[Pacifist Patriot]

73. I'm guessing "posturing pie hole" isn't exactly being considered an endearment?

If someone likened my comments to a posturing pie hole I gather I'd feel a tad insulted. But maybe these words mean something else to you?

[Ferret Annica]

84. I am not sure what your point is.

"Shut your piehole" is a very unoriginal and common way for the exasperated to communicate "just shut up" to someone.

It is not going to be effective in securing compliance from me to comply, and I have heard far worse directed at me from FReepers and other boards I have posted on.

If anything, you give me a warm feeling of fond remembrance of my formative years living in the New Haven Connecticut area. People here in Eugene tend to be moire polite and less confrontation here in Eugene, Oregon, and I do miss the old country from time to time.

Appreciate that. Why, did you know people here just look blankly dazed when a Red Sox fan like myself comments on any Yankee fetish gear they might be wearing without realizing they ae missing a chance to engage in some of finest in 'all in good fun' reparte that exists in the sports team rivalry world around here?

Sad isn't it? The licensed sports wear should come with appropriate training on how to comport oneself while wearing it. ;)

You have to be original and thus have to be creative to ring my insult bell, friend. And you are welcome to try, and have the free speech right to do so.

Though I would assume the consequences would to be to possibly make a moderator act on an ad homenim situation. And you would merely entertain me if I caught the comment, which is not your focus here. Actually, I would much more prefer to be talking about aspects of the topic at hand, which involve the First Amendment, and free speech.

Thanks for sharing.

[Pacifist Patriot]

85. Maybe I'm channeling my southern Granny.

"Her response is not good enough for me, I'd like to see what she's going to do about it" is probably the way I would say "she should shut her posturing pie hole." Different strokes

But I'm also not sure it's the "shut your piehole" with which people took issue. It was your assumption she was posturing when in fact she has been openly supportive of the GLBT community for many years and her past behavior indicates she will likely do more than just make empty promises to follow up. When people are made aware of background and/or context they tend to respond in one of two ways. Either "oh, didn't know that, thanks for the info" or "it's my opinion, I'm entitled to it, so deal with it." You chose the latter and that's when most pig piling tends to begin.

I understand not being familiar with where celebrities stand on issues. I, myself, pay little to no attention to such things. Even most artists whose work I admire greatly I couldn't tell you what they do in the political or social activist arena. They have to be pretty vocal about it for me to notice.

As for the First Amendment and free speech, I'm not sure how that applies in this case in any way so I'm not sure why it would be a topic at hand in this thread.

I did see something on this thread I found interesting, but its more a speculation of motive (and human behavior fascinates me as much as First Amendment discussions). I cringed when I saw the t-shirt even though I got the sarcasm. I've spent years telling my kids and their friends I will not tolerate "that's so gay" in my house. I found myself reacting to the words emotionally before the full meaning of the t-shirt sunk in. Nano-second probably, but it was there. I wonder if the employee was concerned, no so much about a patron advocating for equal marriage rights offending those who oppose it as being sensitive to the phrasing on the shirt. Don't suppose we'll ever know.

[lunatica]

59. Everyone has the right to be willfully ignorant

It's the American way in the last few years.

[Ferret Annica]

63. Everyone has a right to have a view on how this should be handled.

And that opinion is not a personal slam to Parton.

I can't stand Lady Gaga's music and style either. Does that mean I am attacking this alleged friend of the community? I suspect her of exploiting us to make sales, but I could be wrong as I don't know enough about her to do more then to know some feel that way about her.

[Pacifist Patriot]

61. I always chuckle when it comes down to this.

It's not my fault if I have an opinion based upon ignorance and decide to proclaim it rudely so all can see. Thanks for the laugh. I needed it today.

[Ferret Annica]

64. I don't care if you tghink me rude on this. In fact, it's your opinion

And you are welcome to it. None of you people attacking my opinion give a shit about being rude to me.

And I'm niot going to climb on the victim wagon about how none of you care to think what I'm going through transitioning my physical gender to match my mind and soul.

I get crap as I do this where I am long well known as an activist and take it in stride. I am tough enough to handle that, and I am tough enough to handle you al having at me like a bunch of conservatives having a FReeper moment.

I welcome this. It is fasinating to me to see that even people I respect politically and socially can have at someone like me in a way common on Free Republic.

I mean, I got much worse then this from them when I was zotted from that board and had at them over and over as a returning bannee.

Nothing on any political board has ever been anywhere near as traumatic to me as real life. Think about that one.

[Pacifist Patriot]

71. No skin off my nose.

I find the entire thing hilarious. Your responses to the people calling you out on your ignorance were incredibly formulaic and predictable. It's just funny that's all.

[Ferret Annica]

77. Interesting. But I see people as projecting my expression of an opinion...

... on how this should of resulted in someone's firing as an attack on an entertainer as amusing too.

Especially as I definately have willfully ignored her music product, but don't think my own personal preference for music to be anything more then my own personal taste in music.

I also am very aware that my disinterest in her music has made me very unaware of her personal life. But that doesn't make her bad, and make my own opinion on how this should of been handled right.

If I were suddenly tasked with the decision on the action to be made in dealing with this employee, I would most assuredly want more information and could very much wind up changing my mind on this.

Something too consider; maybe you all are too quick to throw me under the bus for my expression of an opinion on this.

Or maybe I deserve the rancorous response. I do know that that does not bother me though, as my political skin is very tough and very thick. And I am human and thus doomed to always be wrong as well as right in my take on things.

So it goes. I do appreciate your perspective on this, and thank you for sharing.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JI7]

27. how do you know where majority of her followers are from ? also being from the south doesn't make

one intolerant. considering she has publicly supported gay rights for a long time those who support her are probably the same. also she has huge support from the glbt community.

maybe her supporters are mostly from teh south but they are also mostly liberal.

[DainBramaged]

23. The question is, if the T-shirt was derogatory towards the Gay community, would the same apply?

And if one can come in then can both sides wear their opinions on their t-shirts? It's a fair question.


The solution is, when you go to a family fun park, maybe going to have fun instead of taking a stand is a good idea.


Is there a back story? Did the person go to test the park policy? If so, bravo.

[haele]

28. The t-shirt was a spin of a very juvenile homophobic slur -

We get after the kiddies for blowing off things and people by declaring "that's/he's/she's so gay".
Depending on how strict the rule on offensive clothing was, the park employee had to decide - would that shirt have caused confusion and upset to people who didn't get the sarcasm?
It's not quite as bad as a shirt advertising personally perceived virility (the mustache rides shirts), but it can be akin to people using the "n" word in public - especially since there wouldn't be an obvious cultural/physical indicator that in certain circumstance, it was not meant to be derogatory.

Not to be justifying bigotry - and if it was bigotry that behind that action, then they deserve to pay the appropriate price for it - but I can see where someone who wasn't that sure about what might or might not be okay might have taken that position on a tee-shirt.

Haele

[K8-EEE]

55. I agree that calling anything "So Gay" could be offensive

We have bus ads here (in L.A.) that are titled "words hurt" or something to that effect specifically focused on creating awareness about that phrase being hurtful. True that it was used ironically here but if it said something like "LGBT rights are so gay" then it could be offensive -- if the policy is nothing offensive I don't think this is a fair reason to fire an employee.

[Sapphocrat]

42. False equivalency.

Toward whom is "Marriage is so gay" derogatory? Bigots?

Some people would be uncomfortable (and even offended) seeing a shirt that said, "I love being a Christian," or "Proud Latino" -- but who would those slogans harm? Who do such slogans denigrate?

If the shirt had said "Fuck Christians" (or, on the flip side, "God Hates Fags"), that would indeed be derogatory.

Expressions of pride in oneself hurt no one. Attacks on others do.

[DainBramaged]

48. You missed the point.

The park attendant ASSUMED it was derogatory (or so it appears) so he asked them to turn their shirt around.


You can stand there and stomp your feet and scream whatever you want, but an amusement park isn't the place to make a point that only a few get.


I stand by what I wrote.

[Sapphocrat]

49. So it would be perfectly OK...

...to bounce someone wearing a Che Guevara shirt because some ignoramus automatically assumes the wearer is advocating revolution? How about a foreign phrase some monolingual xenophobe doesn't understand but feels threatened by -- say "Viva La Raza," or "Ich bin ein Berliner"?

And if the only defense for such an ignoramus is that he ASSUMED -- well, I'm sure you know what they say about the word "assume."

"...stomp your feet and scream whatever you want"...? That's not a very nice thing to say. Do we have a problem unrelated to my disagreement with your P.O.V. that I don't know about?

[DainBramaged]

50. Whatever.........

I have stuff to do, this is boring

[Sapphocrat]

51. And here I thought you wanted to have a discussion on a discussion board. n/t

[DainBramaged]

54. Not tonight, I have a headache......

:pals:

[Mimosa]

70. Mistakes can be made.

T shirt messages are sooo stupid, anyway. Never once worn a message T shirt in all my life. :7

[Ferret Annica]

81. I agree, and I don't like wearing such garments either

There is a fasinating leather bar in Portland I liked going too when I still drank a beer of two that has a huge Confederate Flag in it that has some intent to just shock and make people question political assumptions.

IT never made me not go there. But the gay video porno made me stop going to other gay bars in Portland because I find it gross. But they have a right to show it on their monitors, and I have the right to not go to gay bars that have such elements to their atmosphere. So it goes.

I was just in Potland and stopped in the Fox and Hound, a very mildly appointed gay bar that has many crossdressers on Wednesday night and had a cola to say hi to the barkeep who is a friend, to get liquid after bicycle riding in the heat of Portland's summer, and to enjoy some air conditioning for a spell. I have always prefered gay bars when I did dring alcohol and still feel much more comfortable in them then heterosexual oriented establishments.

I support people's right of free speech on their shirts. My views on free speech is very much the same as that of the late Justice Hugo Black and William O. Douglas.

Which is why I am far from mortally offended by people's anger at my expression of free speech here. People have a right to take me to task for my words even if I feel they mis-understand me.

I never expected that quickly composed post to cause such a response and accept all the consequenses of my action in making that post. And it is because we are responsible for the actions involving exercise of freedom of speach is why the First Amendment works.

[FlaGranny]

29. I wonder what would happen if

the T-shirt said "The Gay Divorcee?"

Or maybe "The Gay Caballeros?"

Sorry, I couldn't help that.

[Shagbark Hickory]

32. Very well worded.

[Bake]

44. In this economy, I hate to see anyone lose his/her job.

Dolly is looking into it and I'm sure she'll do the right thing. Firing the employee is not neceesary IF this was an isolated incident and IF the employee understands and agrees to follow park policy. A personal apology to the guests would help too. Now if it happens again, then you've got insubordination and refusal to follow the employer's policy, and firing is appropriate.

And as for Dolly, she's a classic, one of a kind! Great talent, great singer, great songwriter, and great person!

Bake

[nolabear]

79. Isn't it just possible it was an honest mistake? "...is so gay" has been seen as an insult to gays

and I'd want to hear what the person who asked her to turn the shirt has to say. It may be a case of playing it safe or being exceptionally satire impaired. As for Dolly, unless I totally misread her life and everything she's said, she's extremely pro gay marriage.