Veteran country singer Dolly Parton has found herself in the middle of a gay rights controversy this week after a lesbian couple was asked to turn their t-shirts inside out before entering Dollywood’s Splash Country in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on July 9.
The t-shirts, which raise money for an organization that promotes gay marriage, contained the message ‘Marriage is so Gay.’ A member of Dollywood park security staff made a dress code decision that left them shocked.
The newlywed same-sex couple, Olivier Odom and Jennifer Tipton couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Odom said: “I was curious what he found offensive about the shirt. If it was the fact that it had the word gay on it or that it was in conjunction with the word marriage.”
A spokesperson for Dollywood said that it is the policy of gatekeepers to prevent any patrons from being offended.
Tipton wasn’t buying it. She believes it was something else. “It was just this guy who picked out this one t-shirt, when there were rebel flags and offensive tattoos there.”
They complied with the request because they were with a group of children who were counting on the outing. Afterward, they were advised by an organization called the Campaign for Southern Equality to write a letter to Dolly.
Odom wrote in her letter: “I do not feel that your company has the right to restrict the freedom of speech of its patrons. My shirt was a political statement of equality.” She is calling for Dollywood to “to implement policies that are inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; conduct staff sensitivity training; and issue a public statement indicating that the park is inclusive of all families.”
Parton has been an outspoken supporter of gay marriage in the past. That said–the couple is still waiting for a response.
Check out their photo below:
Photos: WENN, Atlantic Wire