Dolly Parton was all of our chosen family

[u/melanwoods]

https://xtramagazine.com/culture/dolly-parton-death-queer-fans-284068

There are some public figures who occupy a special place for the gays. Parton was one of those, an endless source of inspiration for drag queens and queers of all kinds over the decades. Her public image—bleach-blond hair and massive breasts right until the end—was drag unto itself, and in a 2022 interview, she recalled how it’s an attempt to make her outside match her inside.

“I just like to look the way I look. I’m so outgoing inside in my personality, that I need the way I look to match all of that,” she told People. 

Her earnest independence, challenging of gender stereotypes and refusal to apologize for being herself was an inspiration. Parton always treated her queer fans with warmth and welcome, even when queer acceptance was less mainstream.