Tag: Dolly Parton

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News Round-Up: July 20, 2021

International superstar Dolly Parton

International superstar Dolly Parton
International superstar Dolly Parton (via Twitter)
Some news items you might have missed: • NBC News: The federal government has announced that almost all health insurers must cover the HIV prevention pill, known as PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, with no cost sharing — including for the drug itself and, crucially, for clinic visits and lab tests. • Twitter: For the record, Dolly Parton is every kind of treasure we could want. Check out her little video about her birthday present for her husband.

• Atlanta Blackstar: A Black woman has filed a lawsuit against the Delaware Division of state police after she was blockaded, had her back window bashed in, and held at gunpoint by plainclothes officers last month until they realized she was not the suspect they were looking for. • CNBC: White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and Sen. Rand Paul got in a heated exchange at a Senate hearing Tuesday. “Sen. Paul, you do not know what you are talking about, quite frankly, and I would like to say that officially. You do not know what you are talking about.”

• Washington Post: Fascinating read interviewing Capitol rioters and what they ‘thought’ they were doing on January 6. • Outsider: It was 30 years ago this week that Mark Wahlberg, then ‘Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch,’ dropped that iconic music video, “Good Vibrations.” And Calvin Klein underwear was never the same…

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Dolly Parton Gracefully Declines Tennessee Capitol Statue

International superstar Dolly Parton is writing a Broadway m

International superstar Dolly Parton (image via Instagram)
The Tennessee state legislature has been working on passing a bill that would install a statue of country music legend Dolly Parton on the grounds of the state Capitol. So far, the legislation has been approved by a state House committee on February 9. But Parton gracefully asked the lawmakers to remove the bill from consideration (for now) saying she is “honored and humbled by their intention” but feels “given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time.” She added that “somewhere down the road several years from now” or after she’s gone, “if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean.” Parton closed her message promising she’ll “continue to try to do good work” to make her home state proud. And I have no doubt that she will. #ClassAct

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News Round-Up: February 12, 2021

Josh O'Connor & Alec Secareanu in God's Own Country

Josh O'Connor & Alec Secareanu in God's Own Country
Josh O’Connor & Alec Secareanu in God’s Own Country (promo photo)
Some news items you might have missed: • OMG Blog: Whether you’re alone or with company this Valentine’s Day, lockdown means that you might be looking for some queer cinema love stories. So the eye-candy site has rounded up a list of V-day-appropriate gay movies for your pleasure including one of my favorites, God’s Own Country (above). Warning – NSFW/nudity. • Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out Kenneth’s round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications this week including QSaltLake’s cover story on the public shaming over maskless circuit parties. Qsaltlake Magazine cover • Stonewall Gazette: The veteran LGBTQ blog has returned to the interwebs! Make sure you click over to check out all the content over at Stonewall Gazette. • NBC News: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced 16 nominees for its 2021 class of inductees. The ultimate inductees for the 36th annual class will be announced in May, with honors set for the fall.
The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees
The 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees
• Jerusalem Post: A UN report released this week on widespread human rights violations in Iran contains “reports that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children were subjected to electric shocks and the administration of hormones and strong psychoactive medications.” In other words, the dangerous practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ • The Advocate: Friends Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo’s Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a silly, fun love story about friendship out this weekend.

• Instinct Magazine: Dolly Parton has announced she will (finally) guest-star on the upcoming season of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie with former 9 to 5 co-stars Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. • BosGuy: It’s Furry Friday over at the Boston-based LGBTQ blog and this week features the oh-so-woofy and talented Craig Ramsay. More at the link.

 

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News Round-Up: December 25, 2020

International superstar Dolly Parton is writing a Broadway m

International superstar Dolly Parton (image via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Pink News: Dolly Parton wants Christian homophobes to quit shaming gays – “Judging is God’s job.” • Instinct Magazine: President-elect Joe Biden has tapped openly gay Gautam Raghavan, who previously served as a White House staffer in the Obama administration, to serve as Deputy Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel. Raghavan will be tasked with identifying, recruiting, and vetting more than 4,000 political appointments across the federal government. • Page Six: ‘Sex and the City’ will return to the small screen, with a limited series reboot coming to HBO Max, and would include all the original stars — except Kim Cattrall, who has repeatedly said she is not interested in returning. • KIT212: Racist uses the n-word and pays for it. I agree with Kenneth – the guy stopped punching too soon.

• AP News: The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits last week – 803,000 – is somber evidence that the job market remains under stress nine months after the coronavirus outbreak sent the U.S. economy into recession and caused millions of layoffs. Before the virus struck, jobless claims typically numbered around 225,000 a week before shooting up to 6.9 million in early spring when the virus — and efforts to contain it — flattened the economy. • Washington Post: Donald Trump’s latest pardons are just the final steps taken to complete the coverup of the Russia scandal. Included are GOP lawmakers who admitted to breaking the law, and convicted Blackwater contractors who killed unarmed civilians in a 2007 massacre. • Law and Crime: Tiger King star Joe Exotic, is hoping to join the ranks of Paul Manafort and Roger Stone by landing himself a presidential pardon before Donald Trump leaves office next month. The self-described “gay, gun-toting redneck” and former Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate has dropped his lawsuit against the DOJ, telling a federal judge that he believes the president has personally received his pardon petition. • Twitter: President-elect Joe Biden and soon-to-be First Lady Jill Biden wish everyone glad tidings on this festive holiday.

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Dolly Parton Gets Sassy With RuPaul

Dolly Parton chats with RuPaul in a new Marie Claire interview
In a new interview with the iconic Dolly Parton for Marie Claire, RuPaul asked the diva about some of the more mundane aspects of her day like how many hours of sleep she gets and cooking some biscuits and gravy for breakfast. The Emmy Award-winning Drag Race host inquired if the country superstar cooks in high heels to which Dolly replied, “I always wear my high heels. Don’t you?” RuPaul answered, “No. That’s the thing: There are similarities in what we do, but I take all that stuff off.” But Dolly had a different view:

“I have to always stay ready – street ready, I always say. I have to keep my makeup on and keep my hair done. Like, when I’m in LA – I’ve told you about it – if it’s going to earthquake, if we get an earthquake, I’m not running out in the street looking like you look now.”

Like. You. Look. Now. LOL…Of course, Dolly wasn’t being ugly. That’s just not in her character. It’s a fun interview as Dolly is promoting her new holiday album, A Holly Dolly Christmas, and her new Netflix Christmas movie, Christmas on the Square. Read the full chat over at Marie Claire.

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Dolly Parton Donated $1 Million For Moderna’s COVID Vaccine

International superstar Dolly Parton is writing a Broadway m

International superstar Dolly Parton (image via InstagramDolly P)
Amid yesterday’s big news that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine appears to be 95% effective in preventing infection of the virus, folks noticed that international superstar Dolly Parton had been a part of the solution. Back in April, our Lady Parton donated $1 million to help advance the research being done by Moderna. Because, of course…

 

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A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton)

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Dolly Parton On #BLM: ‘Do We Think Our Little White Asses Are The Only Ones That Matter?’

International superstar Dolly Parton (via Instagram)
Sometimes, it’s the divas that lead the way. In a new interview with Billboard, international music superstar Dolly Parton makes her support for the Black Matters Lives movement clear and unequivocal: “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen. And of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!” The Billboard article offers a detailed profile of Parton’s extensive business empire and explores some of the secrets to her success. Being flexible in business situations is one skill that’s served her well both financially and in showing the world her authentic self. Years before talk of Confederate flags and statues leaped to the forefront of political discourse, Parton renamed her Dixie Stampede dinner venue Dolly Parton’s Stampede in an effort to be sensitive to the painful history of slavery. “There’s such a thing as innocent ignorance, and so many of us are guilty of that,” Parton tells Billboard. “When they said ‘Dixie’ was an offensive word, I thought, ‘Well, I don’t want to offend anybody. This is a business. We’ll just call it The Stampede.’” “As soon as you realize that [something] is a problem, you should fix it,” shares the 74-year-old wise woman. “Don’t be a dumbass. That’s where my heart is. I would never dream of hurting anybody on purpose.”
(image via Billboard)
Of course, Parton has a long history of supporting and uplifting her LGBTQ fans. She’s often been quoted as saying, “If I hadn’t have been a girl, I’d have been a drag queen.” In a 2009 interview with Joy Behar, she was asked about her support for same-sex marriage to which replied with a smile, “Why can’t they get married? They should suffer like the rest of us do.” She reiterated that stance in 2014 telling HuffPost, “I think everyone should be with who they love.” “I don’t want to be controversial or stir up a bunch of trouble but people are going to love who they are going to love,” she continued. “I think gay couples should be allowed to marry. They should suffer just like us heterosexuals, hahahaha.”

And last November, promoting her Netflix series Heartstrings (which featured a gay romance episode “Two Doors Down”), she told Logo, “I’ve always been proud of my gay following. I think they care about me because I care about them.” And around that same time, the country diva jumped into the dance music world with her terrific collaboration with Galantis, “Faith,” giving us all something to dance about. Happy Friday, folks! Here’s to celebrating a diva who gives back to all her fans.

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Dolly Parton, Lil Nas X And More Announced For 31st GLAAD Media Awards

GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today announced that it will host a virtual ceremony for the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday, July 30 in place of the original ceremonies planned for earlier this year. The event will stream on GLAAD’s Facebook and YouTube on July 30 at 8pm ET and will air on Logo on August 3 at 8pm ET. The 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. Since its inception in 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards have grown to be the most visible annual LGBTQ awards show in the world, sending powerful messages of acceptance to audiences globally. For a full list of nominees for the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards, click here. GLAAD announced that comedians Fortune Feimster and Gina Yashere will host the virtual ceremony on July 30, which will feature a special performance from Grammy-nominated duo Chloe x Halle. GLAAD also announced that special guests appearing during the virtual event will include Dolly Parton, Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek), Lil Nas X, Rachel Maddow (The Rachel Maddow Show), Ryan O’Connell (Special), Peppermint (RuPaul’s Drag Race, Head Over Heels), the cast and producers of Pose, trans model and advocate Geena Rocero, Angelica Ross (Pose, American Horror Story), and Lena Waithe (Master of None, Queen & Slim, Twenties), Olivia Wilde (Booksmart, House) will appear during the virtual event. For more information, visit www.glaad.org/mediaawards and follow @glaad and #glaadawards. (via press release)

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Have ‘Faith’ – Dolly Parton & Galantis Make Musical Magic

Dolly Parton with Galantis (photo: Erik Melvin)
Country music icon Dolly Parton has teamed up with internationally acclaimed Swedish electronic dance music duo Galantis (Christian Karlsson & Linus Eklöw) for the rousing and spirited new track, “Faith,” featuring Dutch singer Mr. Probz. The track will be featured on the upcoming Galantis album, Church. Now, you might wonder how a country music giant would find herself collaborating with EDM artists? “I was on the phone with a Christian (referring to Karlsson), talking about a song called ‘Faith’ and an album called ‘Church,’” says Parton. “I knew I was in the right place.” The track, featuring Galantis’ top-shelf production, has been a work in progress for some time. Galantis tells Rolling Stone they had been wanting to build a song off of John Hiatt’s 1987 song, “Have a Little Faith in Me.”

“When you don’t know who you are I will find you so easily Don’t you worry – whenever you need me Have a little faith in me”

Calling Parton one of their ‘dream collaborators,’ Karlsson and Eklöw immediately flew to Nashville for the collaboration when the country diva agreed to work on the track. “I ‘Dolly-ized’ it a bit and wrote some more spiritual things inside [the lyrics],” Parton told Rolling Stone. The 73-year-old music legend apparently enjoyed the experience so much she’s open to writing/recording more EDM. “I always know inside myself what’s right and what’s wrong to do, and this felt really right,” Parton says. “I’m open to doing more with them and continue with this — if this does well.” The music video depicts Parton as the rhinestone-clad driver of a bus that breaks down. The country songstress offers her sunny side of cheer, Mr. Probz drops his spot-on vocals and pretty soon the passengers are dancing in the street to the gospel-tinged groove. “Faith” is now available on all major streaming/download sites.

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Dolly Parton On Artists Coming Out Today “They’re Just Trying To Find Their Way”

Country music legend Dolly Parton

In a recent interview, country music legend Dolly Parton wondered aloud if some music artists’ declarations of broader sexual identities might be “to make people think they’re so free and all that.”

Chatting with showbiz columnist Dan Wootton for his podcast, The Dan Wootton Interview, Parton referred to herself as “an old timer” when asked about recent announcements by artists declaring themselves as gender fluid, bisexual or pansexual.

“I don’t want to criticize or judge anybody, but sometimes I think it’s just become kind of fashionable to speak out like that,” said the 73-year-old icon. “I think some of them even say more than who they really are.”

“I think they just want to be part of that whole movement to make people think that they’re so free and all that, but I don’t really know how they feel inside,” she added. “They’re just trying to find their way.”

Pointing to her gender fluid/pansexual godchild, Miley Cyrus, she noted, “She does a lot of stuff for effect, and I think a lot of them do.”

Currently in London for the opening of her musical, 9 To 5, the longtime LGBTQ ally does give a squeak when referred to as a gay icon (“I love that!”) and shares that if she’d been born male she would have “been a drag queen because I love all the flamboyant stuff.”

She also bats away longtime rumors about her own sexuality thanks to her lifelong friendship with bestie, Judy Ogle.

“So people say that – because you can’t really have a great relationship with a woman,” said the ‘Jolene’ legend. “I’m not gay, but I have so many gay friends and I accept everybody for who they are.”

The Country Music Hall of Famer, with 25 number one songs on the Billboard country charts, doesn’t worry about such chatter.

“People love to talk, but sometimes that’s your best publicity,” said Parton, who will celebrate her 53rd wedding anniversary with husband Carl Dean in May. “I don’t care what they say as long as they don’t hurt other people I love.”

Some in the media worried that Parton’s comments might have had a negative slant, but Parton’s status as an LGBTQ ally is long-cemented by actions and statements across the years in defense of the gay community.

From telling Billboard Magazine that those who judge gays are committing their own personal sin to apologizing to a theme park guest who was told to turn their marriage equality t-shirt inside out in order to get into the park, to writing the Oscar-nominated song “Travelin’ Thru” for transgender-themed film, Transamerica, Parton has been there (and more) for the LGBTQ community.

You can listen to Wootton’s chat with Dolly Parton via iTunes here or hit play below.

The discussion of sexuality begins around the 12:45 mark.