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My name is Jason Brantley and I’m from New York, NY. I’m here to tell you today about Dolly Parton and my complete and utter obsession with her.

I guess I wanted to talk about Dolly Parton today because I guess she is a symbol of goodness for gay people. And I’ve always looked up to her and I guess it started back when I found out what eBay was all about. I went on and bought every single vinyl record that I could get my little paws on. Back when she was doing Porter Wagoner shows and the whole nine yards, and I bought just about every single one of them and I put them up on my bedroom wall, and looked at Dolly Parton a hell of a lot my whole life growing up. Listened to every song she ever sang pretty much, and then when I came to New York I had a chance to meet her.

I went to an autograph signing she was doing back before she did I guess it was the Halos and Horns album. I got up there to the table and I had a Dolly Parton belt buckle on, and it had her mug on it, and I said, “Dolly, I want you to see something.” I showed her the buckle, she looked at me, and said, “Oh, you got me right above where it counts, don’t you?” And I thought that was just amazing.

But anyway, so then I’m sitting here looking at this woman and I’m thinking, here she is, in the flesh. She is this woman I’ve looked up to my whole life because I’ve always thought that beyond all the tricks that she uses–the makeup and the heels and the wigs–she has her whole life been true to herself. And I think she helped me be true to myself.