Dolly Parton Reveals She Was Bullied and Criticized for Being ‘Very Flamboyant and Out There’
Despite being a beloved and iconic superstar, Dolly Parton knows how it feels to be bullied and criticized since she’s experienced it for being her “flamboyant” self. She said she knows what it’s like to “not be accepted” and shared some advice for others who feel pressured by anyone to be someone other than who they are.
Dolly Parton said she’s ‘always been odd’ and was ‘very flamboyant and out there’
Parton spoke to Vogue about her experience carving a place for herself and how it’s helped her relate to others. She said she tries “to find the God light in everybody.”
“Myself, I’ve always been odd,” she explained. “I was very flamboyant and out there, and I got criticized a lot for that. I got bullied a lot as a child too, so I know how it feels to not be accepted.”
The legendary singer and songwriter added, “[A lot of people] who work with me are gay, lesbian, transgender — and they’re some of my best friends as well. I’ve always been open. People are who they are.”
When asked if she feels the love for being outspoken about LGBTQ rights, she responded, “Absolutely! You get back what you give.”
Dolly Parton wants others to be themselves, flamboyant or not
Lucky for anyone who finds themselves in a position of not feeling accepted, Parton had some words of advice for others. “The world is hard enough as it is, so we should at least help other people to be themselves,” she said while talking to Vogue.
“No matter what your parents say, or what other people say, you are who you are,” she concluded. “And that’s the way you should be.”
Notably, a young Boy George once explained to Johnny Carson, who was friendly with Parton, how this quality was something they had in common. He noted that, despite what people said about them, they both stayed true to the identity they created for themselves and, in turn, encouraged others to do the same.
Dolly Parton feels like the ‘world’s on fire’ and wonders, ‘How do we heal this great divide?’
While talking to Vogue, Parton said she feels “like the world’s on fire” lately. “I’m not one for freaking out much,” she offered, “but that don’t mean I don’t stay in touch!”
She then asked, “What are we gonna do when it all burns down? How do we heal this great divide? And do we even care enough to try? Can’t we rise above and show some love?”
Parton thinks “we’re on dangerous ground” because, in so many words, some people don’t care enough to pay attention to what’s happening around them. “That’s the scary part,” the “Applejack” singer added. “They’re just so locked into their own little world. That’s not a good way to live.”
“So I just try to stay positive,” Parton shared. “I try to put more good stuff out there, to write songs that will make people think, and pay attention.”
