Dollywood makes gay woman turn her shirt inside out

[T4Texas]

Originally Posted by dixielady

They love to spout the bible verses. YET...they only spout verses that DO NOT apply to them.

Amen to that. (no pun intended). Unfortunately when dealing with bible belt mentality, you have to remember that they only see themselves as right and there's no changing that. It's such a total hypocritical thing, a double standard. I stopped worrying a long time ago about what straight/religious/other types thought about me and my lifestyle. The straight people don't matter to me because if they can't see me for the person I am, then to hell with them. We are not defined by who we sleep with. The religious types don't matter because the God I believe in is not going to send me to burn in hell because I love someone of my own sex. As for the Dollywood people, they need to understand that their 'family' park should also accomodate different types of family units...because thats the way life is now and they need to get in step with the times.

[princessbelle]

Originally Posted by T4Texas

Amen to that. (no pun intended). Unfortunately when dealing with bible belt mentality, you have to remember that they only see themselves as right and there's no changing that. It's such a total hypocritical thing, a double standard. I stopped worrying a long time ago about what straight/religious/other types thought about me and my lifestyle. The straight people don't matter to me because if they can't see me for the person I am, then to hell with them. We are not defined by who we sleep with. The religious types don't matter because the God I believe in is not going to send me to burn in hell because I love someone of my own sex. As for the Dollywood people, they need to understand that their 'family' park should also accomodate different types of family units...because thats the way life is now and they need to get in step with the times.

Great post.

Thank you for joining in.

[princessbelle]

As far as i can find/tell there still has been no contact from Dolly or Dolly's "people" to the woman who was forced to turn her shirt inside out. But i could be wrong...i've been working.

This is a good article...

This will NOT go away i don't believe.

still watching

The Players: Olivier Odom, professional welder and metal-working art instructor; Pete Owens, manager of Dollywood PR and Dollywood's Splash Country--a waterpark connected to Dollywood, an amusement park co-owned by Dolly Parton.

The Opening Serve: On a July 9 visit to Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country with her wife and a friend's children, Odom wore a shirt that read "Marriage is So Gay." Odom told us, "When we got to Dollywood Splash Country, the man at the entry gate whispered in my ear that I needed to turn my shirt inside out." Dollywood has a dress-code policy where clothing that is deemed offensive is either covered up or turned inside out.

Owens confirms this in an interview with The Advocate, a gay and lesbian news magazine."Thousands of times a day our front gate hosts are asked to enforce our dress code policy," he said. "It doesn't have anything to do with who the people are or what their belief system is or with anything other than the fact that we try to prevent as best as we can upon entry of the park one of our guests being offended by something someone else is wearing."

In an interview with an NBC affiliate 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." Odom sent a letter to Dollywood on the 19th to file her complaint.

"I do not feel that your company has the right to restrict the freedom of speech of its patrons," she wrote in her letter. "My shirt was a political statement of equality."

The Return Volley: We spoke to Pete Owens yesterday. "Dozens of times a month, we ask patrons to turn their shirt inside out," he said. "The park tries to provide an environment that is away or removed from everything else in the world--where people can just enjoy themselves."

Owens also added, "Our park is open everyday to everybody. It's open to every and all kinds of families enjoying their day." He added that though he hasn't met with Odom and Tipton yet, he plans to do so.

Odom responded to Owens's comments in an conversation with The Atlantic Wire today. "I don't know how it's possible to go anywhere without seeing something political," she said. "If someone that wore a shirt that protested the repeal of DOMA, I don't think they'd be asked to turn their shirt inside out." Odom said that, though she didn't see this herself, her wife saw patrons wearing t-shirts with Confederate flags.

Odom pointed out that the park's namesake creates an image problem. "It was my impression that Dolly Parton and therefore Dollywood would support marriage equality," she said. "I know she's only a part-owner, but she's why people come." Dollywood's website cites that Parton is a co-owner of the park. Earlier this month, Parton said she supported marriage equality in an interview with the Toronto Sun. In the same interview, she questioned Christian intolerance of marriage equality.

As of this morning, Odom said she has yet to be contacted by Owens or Dollywood staff.

What They Say They're Fighting About: Dollywood's "restrict[ing] the freedom of speech of its patrons," as written in Odom's letter. Owens confirms that the park and front gate attendants have to make decisions on what is offensive and that it's Dollywood's goal to try and leave politics at the door, thus creating a more enjoyable environment.

What They're Really Fighting About: If gay rights are offensive. Odom doesn't think so. She argues that the neutrality policy at Dollywood is broken if she can't wear a shirt promoting equality. The staff and employee who asked her to change her shirt think differently.

Who's Winning Now: It's tricky, but probably Odom. Granted, the rule that Odom objects to makes it so that she doesn't have to see homophobic shirts at an amusement park. But by deeming Odom's marriage equality shirt offensive, Dollywood has implicitly put itself on one side of the gay rights debate. What complicates this scenario is that main attraction of the park, Dolly Parton, has gone on the record supporting marriage equality and gay rights. Now the park faces an image and damage-control problem. It should be noted that Dollywood has had its share of gay rights controversy in the past as well. In 2004, the park asked a gay and lesbian group to rename a "Gay Day" event and faced protests and threats by the Ku Klux Klan as the event drew closer.

Source: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/natio...rt-spat/40303/

[atomiczombie]

From CNN:

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08...hirt-incident/

After a woman was asked to turn a T-shirt reading "Marriage is so gay" inside out while attempting to visit Dollywood's Splash Country in early July, Dolly Parton has issued a personal apology for the incident.

The woman, who according to the Atlantic was attending the park along with her wife and the children of a friend, was asked by the host at Dollywood's Splash Country to turn her shirt inside out at the park's entrance.

According to Dollywood's Splash Country press rep Pete Owens, the park has "a pretty strict dress code," and the host of the park is charged with deciding whether or not a guest's clothing is appropriate. In this case, the request to turn the "Marriage is so gay" T-shirt inside out was made "in the spirit of the dress code," Owens said.


The woman complied with the request, and no one was barred entry. However, Owens told CNN that the park was contacted by the customer on July 19 via email, which said that the couple didn't believe having to turn the t-shirt inside out was right.

Owens said an offer was made to arrange a meeting to discuss what happened, but that fell through. By August 1, Owens offered to refund the couple's admission to the park. That gesture was followed up by a personal apology from Parton herself.

"I am truly sorry for any hurt or embarrassment regarding the gay and lesbian T-shirt incident at Dollywood's Splash Country recently," she says in the statement. "Everyone knows of my personal support of the gay and lesbian community. Dollywood is a family park and all families are welcome. We do have a policy about profanity or controversial messages on clothing or signs. It is to protect the individual wearing or carrying them, as well as to keep down fights or problems by those opposed to it at the park. We even offer free shirts in exchange to those who want to remain on the park."

She continues, "I am and was on tour when this was brought to my attention and 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."

Press officer Owens said he gave Parton's statement to the couple involved and apologized if they were hurt, or uneasy, or embarrassed in any way.

Click the link for video. Yay Dolly!

[princessbelle]

Good.

I really thought she would...eventually. She has spoken out to support our LGBT community and it makes me very proud and very happy.

WAY TO GO DOLLY!!!!!!!!! Now, get to work and make sure that supporting our community on gay marriage etc, is off the list of shirts that proclaim "profanity or controversial messages on clothing or signs".

I love happy endings!!!!!