Author Apologizes for Dolly Parton Essay Controversy

Dolly Parton's fans are rallying behind the country music icon after a conservative news site criticized her faith for supporting the LGBTQ community.

Federalist writer Ericka Andersen penned an essay earlier this week taking aim at Parton's nonjudgmental approach to life and her love for all people, including members of the LGBTQ community.

The headline, There's Nothing Loving About Dolly Parton's False Gospel, caught many people off guard.

But Andersen told Yahoo Entertainment on Saturday that the widespread backlash made her realize she shouldn't have used Parton to press her argument.

Supporters flooded social media with messages critical of the essay, and the writer has now expressed regret for using such a beloved figure to make her point.

Andersen argued that if Parton is a Christian, as she proclaims, she should call out homosexuality as a sin.

Parton's version of love, which includes condoning immoral sexual behavior ('be who you are,' she's said), is unaligned with God's vision for humanity, Andersen wrote.

As I wrote in the piece, I love her and think she does some incredible things for the world. In her 2020 book Dolly Parton, Songteller, I even called her a 'national treasure.'