Dolly Parton Discusses Gay Rumors, Losing a Drag Queen Look-Alike Contest in New Interview

In a new interview with ABC News, country superstar and gay icon Dolly Parton denies gay rumors that have popped up throughout her career. The signer sat down with the network's "Nightline" program to talk about her love life and her new memoir, "Dream More," which was released on Tuesday.

Parton, 66, told the show that she hopes the gay rumors that allege she has been involved in a romantic relationship with childhood friend, Judy Ogle, will finally go away. The musician, who has been married to husband Carl Thomas Dean for 46 years, stated that she is not a lesbian or having a secret affair with bestie.

The "9 to 5" star compared her situation to the rumors that have plagued Oprah Winfrey and her best friend Gayle King for years.

"Like Gayle, her friend, Judy, my friend...they just think that you just can't be that close to somebody," Parton said. "Judy and I have been best friends since we were like in the third and fourth grade. We still just have a great friendship and relationship and I love her as much as I love anybody in the whole world, but we're not romantically involved."

Parton also recalled the time when she entered and lost a Dolly Parton look-alike drag contest.

"All these beautiful drag queens had worked for weeks and months getting their clothes," she said. "So I just got in the line and I just walked across, and they just thought I was some little short gay guy, but I got the least applause."

"It's a good thing I was a girl or I'd be a drag queen," she added.

The country singer has been a longtime gay icon and even has a "Gay Day" at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. She has championed LGBT rights for years and says she "loves everybody" ever since she received threats from the Ku Klux Klan, the Daily Mail notes.