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drag queen
Dolly orchestrated a touching gesture by gifting a personalized rhinestoned acoustic guitar to Brigitte Bandit, a nonbinary drag performer in Austin, Texas.
The extraordinary gift was a testament to Bandit's courage and activism, particularly regarding their outspoken stand against Texas's controversial drag ban.
You can see examples below.
The moment unfolded during Bandit's live performance in Austin when they unveiled a shimmering pink-wrapped gift box from Parton. As the packaging was unwrapped, the guitar adorned in white and pink rhinestones emerged, bearing a handwritten message and Parton's signature that read:
"To Brigitte. Love, Dolly Parton."
Bandit, exuding sheer gratitude and disbelief, took to Instagram on December 30 to express their profound appreciation, writing:
“Never did I ever imagine I’d be sent a custom rhinestoned guitar signed by Dolly herself to me after seeing the work I’ve done this year."
"I love you [Dolly Parton] thank you so much for helping me find my strength in femininity and kindness and thank you to my kingdom castmates for such a special tribute moment."
You can see their post below.
The heartwarming exchange stemmed from Parton's discovery of Bandit's advocacy efforts against the Texas drag ban. Rebecca Seaver, from Dolly Parton Enterprises, shared a photo of Bandit protesting at the state capitol while carrying a children's book about Parton.
Touched by Bandit's courage and commitment, Parton orchestrated the heartfelt gesture, sending the guitar as a symbol of admiration and solidarity.
Bandit told KXAN:
“I honestly can’t believe it’s even real. I keep staring at it being like it’s just going to disappear, and I’m going to wake up from this dream because it’s just — it’s just wild. It’s very exciting.”
Bandit plans to perform with the guitar once in a special event marking Parton's birthday on January 19 before preserving it in a display case as a cherished memento.
They added:
“Dolly has always been such a huge inspiration. Whenever I started to get a little bit more traction in the drag community, for some reason, Dolly and Brigitte just got together, and I was booked for so many Dolly events that eventually I just ended up becoming the Dolly."
"Often if somebody wanted a Dolly, I was there.”
Many loved Parton's generous gesture.
Sadly, Bandit's activism against the Texas drag ban also brought unwarranted attention and attacks from anti-drag advocates, exposing their personal information online.
Bandit's courageous stance in advocating for inclusivity and challenging discriminatory laws earned them both admiration and backlash, with many of those who've attacked LGBTQ+ community claiming that advocates are “groomers… advocating for the sexualization of children."