Dolly Parton Issues Statement on Dollywood Incident

Last week lesbian couple Olivier Odom and Jennifer Tipton were initially refused entry into Dolly Parton's Tennessee amusement park because one of the women was wearing a T-shirt that read, "marriage is so gay."

The women complied with the request to turn the shirt inside out, but they have been quietly working with park officials requesting sensitivity and diversity training.

Today Park matriarch and LGBT community favorite issued the following statement, via Advocate:

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."

I spent a weekend in Pigeon Forge. A friend rented a cabin in the Smoky Mountains to celebrate his 40th birthday. A handful of us joined him, and of course we sojourned to pay tribute to Dollywood.

Glad to see Dolly's working on making Dollywood a welcoming and happy environment to all. This radical, New York City homosexual had a pretty awesome time at her park and would love to continue recommending it to all his friends.