GayPatriot

The Internet home for American gay conservatives.

Powered by Genesis

Is Dolly Parton the True Gay Republican Diva?
(& you have three chances to see her in LA in the next 16 days)

July 7, 2011 by B. Daniel Blatt

Perhaps, the Southern background (or, in Bruce’s case, residence) of many of my gay friends makes Dolly Parton appear to rank with Judy, Barbra and Ethel in our diva pantheon. And it seems nearly all (yes, I said that right, nearly all) of my gay conservative friends love Dolly.

In sixteen days, she’s appearing for the first time ever at the Hollywood Bowl. And two films at Outfest (opening tonight) feature this country diva. On Saturday, July 16, you can catch Hollywood to Dollywood, a documentary about gay twins who, in an RV named Jolene, set out on a cross country trek to get their script to the buxom blond.

And on Wednesday, July 13, you can singalong with Dolly (et al.) in the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas on a very big screen at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater.

Click on the movie titles for ticket information; you may well find the greatest concentration of gay conservatives at an LA event since Ethel Merman last appeared at the Hollywood Bowl.

Filed Under: Country Music, Divas, LA Stories, Movies/Film & TV, Strong Women

Comments

  1. rusty says

    July 7, 2011 at 5:48 pm - July 7, 2011

    The always candid Dolly Parton has revealed that she’s in favor of granting gays and lesbians the rights to marry.

    “Sure, why can’t they get married? They should suffer like the rest of us do,” the outspoken superstar told CNN show host Joy Behar. When Behar suggested Dolly’s Southern roots might not mesh with the idea of marriage equality, the singer agreed, “I know that’s true.”

    . . .
    As for Dolly, the flamboyant entertainer admits she feels a certain kinship with her many gay and lesbian fans.”I think it’s because they know I’m different too, and it took me a long time to be accepted,” she reasons.

    “Plus, a lot of my gay guy friends love to dress up,” she adds. “I think they just appreciate the fact that I love everybody for who they are.”

    Dolly did have some strong words, however, for Houston megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, who earlier this month stated that “homosexuality is not God’s best work.” “I don’t want to talk about him,” she said with a laugh. “I think God made us who we are and how we are, and I don’t think if [Osteen] was a religious person, he would be judging people.”

    http://www.theboot.com/2009/11/17/dolly-parton-gay-marriage/

  2. TGC says

    July 7, 2011 at 6:03 pm - July 7, 2011

    Any mention of the number of gay members at Lakewood Church?

  3. Richard Bell says

    July 7, 2011 at 7:04 pm - July 7, 2011

    Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be gay to love Dolly or Judy or………………well, I do have trouble with Barbara.

  4. Kevin says

    July 7, 2011 at 9:04 pm - July 7, 2011

    Richard beat me to it. I adore Dolly too, even if her theology is more suspect than even Osteen. Judy doesn’t do anything for me thro and I never understood that other person…

  5. Naamloos says

    July 7, 2011 at 9:08 pm - July 7, 2011

    Diva pantheon?

  6. Rob Tisinai says

    July 7, 2011 at 9:35 pm - July 7, 2011

    I would bet most of your liberal gay friends love Dolly, too.

  7. Kurt says

    July 8, 2011 at 12:51 am - July 8, 2011

    I always thought Dolly Parton was sort of ridiculous when I was a kid in the 70s and a teenager in the early 80s, but at that time I knew her more for her image than for her music (some of which I’d heard but didn’t really know and couldn’t identify as hers). It has only been in recent years that I’ve begun to appreciate Dolly. (Then again, it has only been in the last 10 years that I’ve been open with myself about my sexual orientation. Coincidence? Possibly not!)

    And like Richard and Kevin, I don’t care for Barbra, but I can definitely appreciate Ethel, and my opinion of Judy (or “St. Judy,” as an Australian friend calls her) really depends on my mood and the song or performance in question.

  8. Jim Michaud says

    July 8, 2011 at 1:00 am - July 8, 2011

    I’ve always liked Dolly Parton. My favorite gay-related quote of hers (besides the one you mentioned) dates from about 1986. She stated she always liked dresses and makeup and laughingly said she was glad she was born a woman or “…I would have made one hell of a drag queen!”

  9. B. Daniel Blatt says

    July 8, 2011 at 4:27 am - July 8, 2011

    Rob, a lot of them do. 🙂

  10. V the K says

    July 8, 2011 at 7:11 am - July 8, 2011

    Last night I dreamed I was an archaeologist from the future and had just discovered Dolly Parton’s corpse preserved, Austrian Iceman-style, in a glacier. I blame this post for that.

  11. rusty says

    July 8, 2011 at 8:39 am - July 8, 2011

    Dolly Parton. . .a quote machine
    http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/04/dolly-parton-a-quote-machine

    1. Her new album Better Day is her personal response to today’s tough times.

    The economy, the weather, all these disasters, they’ve got everybody so down, explains Dolly, who singlehandedly wrote all but one of the songs on the album. “I just wanted to be a little ray of sunshine, to remind people that things will get better.”

    2. Don’t let her smile and laughter fool you: Dolly is as worried about the state of things as you are.

    “People say to me, ‘You must be happy all the time.’ And I think, ‘What kind of shallow, silly person would that make me?’ ” She has her troubles just like everyone, she says. She’s “as big a sinner” as the next person. And she’s getting more scared, just like everybody else.

    “God has given man this world, and we’re doing our best to screw it up.”

    3. One thing screwing it up that she’d love to change: People judging each other.

    We need to stop, she insists. “Whether you’re a Baptist or a Catholic or a Republican or a Democrat, everybody is so convinced that they’re the only one who’s right.” Instead, people need to start looking at things from the other person’s perspective.

    4. Speaking of seeing it from the other side: Dolly is deeply religious — but in favour of gay marriage.

    “I think gay people should be able to marry. I just hope that all those gay people who get married have friends who buy them Better Day as a wedding present,” she cracks. On a more serious note, she feels Christians who oppose gay marriage aren’t acting very Christian:

    They’ve forgotten that the Bible preaches acceptance, tolerance and forgiveness.

  12. TGC says

    July 8, 2011 at 9:29 am - July 8, 2011

    What? Nothing about Reba? C’mon, folks.

  13. Sebastian Shaw says

    July 8, 2011 at 9:56 am - July 8, 2011

    I highly recommend all of Dolly’s blue grass albums: Grass Is Blue (1999), Little Sparrow (2001), & Halos & Horns (2002) along with her Coat of Many Colors (1973) & Jolene (1974). She is a gifted songwriter & that’s why I like her music.

  14. anon23532 says

    July 8, 2011 at 10:51 am - July 8, 2011

    I’ll have to disagree with Osteen. Homosexuality is not the work of God. Somehow, he gotten this wrong in terms of cupability.

    As for Dolly, she is talented in music. Since when to pop divas become gay icons. It sort of changes the game.

  15. Eric Olsen says

    July 8, 2011 at 11:00 am - July 8, 2011

    I’ll have to disagree with Osteen. Homosexuality is not the work of God. Somehow, he gotten this wrong in terms of cupability.

    As for Dolly, she is talented in music. Since when to pop divas become gay icons. It sort of changes the game.

    Huh?????

  16. anon23532 says

    July 8, 2011 at 11:40 am - July 8, 2011

    Okay, simpler version.

    Homosexuality is not God’s work or God’s fault. Blame Satan.

    Dolly became a gay icon. It happened inadvertently unlike the “Born This Way” Gaga. Dolly’s music is clearly for the mainstream.

  17. Eric Olsen says

    July 8, 2011 at 11:50 am - July 8, 2011

    Homosexuality is not God’s work or God’s fault. Blame Satan..

    Anon, I really do respect your right to differ from me on homosexuality, but you are clearly wrong to blame it on Satan.

    Everyone knows Satan is responsible for Kathy Griffin. 🙂

  18. rusty says

    July 8, 2011 at 12:33 pm - July 8, 2011

    Yes Reba Rocks. . . next in line for Diva Status

    Reba records ‘Duets’ with bevy of country, pop stars
    Homespun diva loves Justin, Kelly and her gay fans

    http://goqnotes.com/features/feature2007/feature02_100607.html

    Did you know any gay people when you were growing up in Oklahoma?

    Not at all. Not until college.

    What happened then?

    I started hanging around the music department [laughs]. I had a music teacher, Bob Pratt, who taught me so much about singing. He helped me develop my voice and gave me such a passion for music. I just loved him so much. Gay or not, I made a lot of friends in the music department. It didn’t matter to me. I mean, I was a hick from the sticks, and they accepted me.

    Do you have any thoughts on gay marriage?

    I have friends who have told me that if their partner gets sick, they wouldn’t be allowed in the hospital room because they’re not considered immediate family and they have no spousal rights. I think it’s very unfortunate that a person can’t marry who they want to marry. Everyone should take care of their own business without judging others. Like I always say, “Don’t judge me unless you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.”

  19. The_Livewire says

    July 8, 2011 at 1:12 pm - July 8, 2011

    Okay, simpler version.

    Homosexuality is not God’s work or God’s fault. Blame Satan.

    Dolly became a gay icon. It happened inadvertently unlike the “Born This Way” Gaga. Dolly’s music is clearly for the mainstream.

    And the strange post of the day goes to…

    Anyway, I don’t think any lasting ‘icon’ starts out intending to be an icon, Lady Gaggag included. Things become ‘iconic’ because they are referenced as the ultimate expression. Like how the scupture of David is the ‘iconic’ male nude or how Patton is the ‘iconic’ ‘Blood, Guts & Glory’ General. (Or how this administration is becoming the iconic failure).

  20. TGC says

    July 8, 2011 at 1:15 pm - July 8, 2011

    I heard-tell Reba uses a drag queen as a stand-in during concerts.

    next in line for Diva Status

    I’m curious. Do you assign “Diva Status” based on their position on gay marriage?

  21. Eric Olsen says

    July 8, 2011 at 1:24 pm - July 8, 2011

    I heard-tell…

    I swear, TGC, you’re so southern, your rabbits poop grits, your grandma chews chickory, and you sweat corn whiskey. 🙂

  22. TGC says

    July 8, 2011 at 2:00 pm - July 8, 2011

    I ain’t never lived further north than Raymond, MS. ner’none. Well, except for two months in Baltimore right after I was born, but that was because of Watergate. I’d’a been born in Jackson otherwise.

  23. rusty says

    July 8, 2011 at 3:18 pm - July 8, 2011

    Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music.

    She is one of the most successful female country artists, garnering the title of “The Queen of Country Music,” with 25 number-one singles. and a record forty-one top-10 country albums. She has the distinction of having performed on a top-five country hit in each of the last five decades[ and

    is tied with Reba McEntire as the only country artists with No. 1 singles in four consecutive decades.

    She is known for her distinctive soprano, sometimes bawdy humor, flamboyant style of dress and voluptuous figure.

    wiki

    And TGC these two fine Diva’s (both with strong religious convictions)love their GHEYS!

    With my roots in the Big Sky state of Montana, I have been following country music long before you were even a sparkle in your parents eyes.

  24. The_Livewire says

    July 8, 2011 at 3:26 pm - July 8, 2011

    Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music.

    She also has a painting in a closet that ages instead of her.

  25. Kurt says

    July 8, 2011 at 9:32 pm - July 8, 2011

    As long as people are nominating other folks for diva status, I’d like to throw the name of Bernadette Peters into consideration. Not only is she an awesome talent who, at 63, looks and performs as well as she ever has, but she’s one of those rare divas who has the potential to be as popular with straight men as with gay men.

  26. Brendan in Philly says

    July 16, 2011 at 5:01 pm - July 16, 2011

    I love Dolly, but I’m gonna have to throw my weight behind Taylor Swift for (future) diva status.

Categories

Archives