US99 AND CENTER ON HALSTED CELEBRATE PRIDE WITH YOUR DAILY DOLLY.
DOLLY PARTON HAS LONG BEEN AN ADVOCATE OF CELEBRATING EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND LOVE.
HERE ARE 3 WAYS DOLLY CEMENTED HER STATUS AS AN LGBTQ+ ICON!
1. CONFIRMING A LONG-RUNNING RUMOR, DOLLY CONFIRMED THE INFAMOUS STORY OF HOW SHE ONCE ENTERED A WEST HOLLYWOOD DOLLY PARTON DRAG CONTEST…AND LOST! PARTON SAID, 'AT A HALLOWEEN CONTEST YEARS AGO ON SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD WHERE ALL THE GUYS WERE DRESSED UP LIKE ME AND I JUST OVEREXAGGERATED MY LOOK AND WENT IN AND JUST WALKED UP ON STAGE. I DIDN'T WIN. I DIDN'T EVEN COME IN CLOSE, I DON'T THINK.'
2. DOLLY HAS LONG BEEN SPEAKING OUT FOR MARRIAGE BETWEEN SAME SEX COUPLES. ADVOCATING HER SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY ON AN AUSTRALIAN TELEVISION BROADCAST, DOLLY CAME FORWARD DEFENDING SAME SEX MARRIAGE. 'HEY, I THINK LOVE IS LOVE AND WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT... I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO [MARRY]. I'M NOT GOD, YOU KNOW. I BELIEVE IN GOD, I THINK GOD IS THE JUDGE. I DON'T JUDGE OR CRITICIZE AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE SUPPOSED TO.'
3. DOLLY'S OWN SONG 'TRAVELIN' THRU” BECAME THE SOUNDBED OF THE 2005 MOVIE, TRANSAMERICA STARRING FELICITY HUFFMAN. THE CELEBRATED TRACK RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARD NOMINATIONS — INCLUDING ACADEMY AWARD NOM FOR BEST SONG. ALTHOUGH THE SONG DIDN’T WALK AWAY WITH THE GOLD, DOLLY'S PERFORMANCE AT THE 2006 ACADEMY AWARDS WAS UNFORGETTABLE. A SONG WRITTEN TO CONTRIBUTE TO A TRANS-THEMED FILM, “TRAVELIN THRU” BECAME AN ANTHEM OF TRANSFORMATION AND BRAVERY.
DAILY DOLLY IS PRESENTED BY CENTER ON HALSTED. CENTER ON HALSTED OFFERS MORE THAN TWO DOZEN PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING CAREER DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH SERVICES, SENIOR SERVICES, COUNSELING AND THERAPY, HIV TESTING AND CARE, AND SO MUCH MORE! VISIT CENTER ON HALSTED TO CONNECT WITH CHICAGO’S LGBTQ COMMUNITY.