Singer Dolly Parton's Pigeon Forge,
Tennessee amusement park Dollywood has been accused of discriminating
against a lesbian couple.
Olivier Odom and Jennifer Tipton claim
they were asked to turn a “Marriage is so gay” t-shirt inside out
before being allowed to enter Dollywood's Splash Country, Knoxville
NBC affiliate WBIR reported.
“I was in disbelief,” said Odom.
“I didn't think it was the policy of Dollywood to discriminate
against the LGBT community.”
“I looked at him and I was like
really? He said, 'This is a family park,'” she added.
The
“Marriage is so gay” t-shirt raises funds and awareness to
support marriage equality.
Odom and Tipton married last year in
South Carolina's Outerbanks. (South Carolina does not recognize such
marriages.)
A spokesperson for the park said its
dress code aims to prevent any other patrons from being offended, but
added that Odom's case has yet to be reviewed.
The couple added that they felt singled
out.
“It was just this one guy who picked
out this one t-shirt, when there were rebel flags and offensive
tattoos there,” said Tipton.
At the suggestion of the Campaign for
Southern Equality, Odom wrote a letter asking the park to articulate
its policy on LGBT visitors.