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Dolly Parton Backs Gay Marriage

Country icon Dolly Parton recently revealed that she supports gay and lesbian marriage in an interview on CNN with Joy Behar.

Even though Parton comes from the South where gay rights do not mesh, the Tennessee native said, “Sure, why can’t they get married? They should suffer like the rest of us do.”
According to The Boot, Parton is not the only Country artist who supports the cause. Reba McEntire shocked country fans when she voiced her support of her gay fans and friends. “Don’t judge me and I won’t judge you. Keep an open mind,” McEntire said.
In addition, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles has performed at Gay Pride in Atlanta three times. She said she has always had “a large gay following” and is “grateful for that.”
Just like Nettles, Parton is thankful for her gay fans and feels she has a certain relationship with them.
“I think it’s because they know I’m different too, and it took me a long time to be accepted,” Parton said. “Plus, a lot of my gay guy friends love to dress up. I think they just appreciate the fact that I love everybody for who they are."
Parton, too, made sure it was known she does not agree with Houston TV minister Joel Osteen, who stated that “homosexuality is not God’s best work.”
“I don’t want to talk about him. 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,” Parton said nicely.
In the past, Parton has had to deal with rumors questioning her sexuality with her assistant Judy Ogle. The two are always together, and although they’ve been best friends since the third grade, their friendship has been mistaken for a romantic relationship.
Parton told AARP magazine that the two are “totally honest, open and comfortable with each other” and that they “do love each other, but we’ve never been like that.”
Parton ignores the rumors and said her marriage of 43 years with husband Carl Dean will last for her lifetime. “I know we’ll never divorce. He always knows I’m coming home.”