Everyone knows my personal support of the gay and lesbian community," Parton's statement said. "Dollywood is a family park and all families are welcome.

Dollywood officials have offered a refund to a lesbian couple after an employee asked one of the women to turn her T-shirt reading "marriage is so gay" inside-out to avoid offending others during a recent visit to the Tennessee theme park complex.

Photo: Apology ... Dolly Parton restates her "personal support of the gay and lesbian community" and... on a side note, we love Dolly, but what's going on with her head — we think she may need a better plastic surgeon!

Park officials were going to meet with the couple in person, but it was called off when Jennifer Tipton and Olivier Odom wanted to bring a representative from Campaign for Southern Equality, a gay rights organisation.

Dollywood park spokesman Pete Owens told The Knoxville News Sentinel that the park didn't want to meet with the representative, who wasn't at the park at the time of the incident, so they sent the couple a letter and gave them a refund.

The couple complained after a park worker at Splash Country last month asked Odom to reverse her shirt.

Owens provided the couple with a statement from Dolly Parton, who said she was sorry for any hurt or embarrassment they felt over the request.

"Everyone knows my personal support of the gay and lesbian community," Parton's statement said. "Dollywood is a family park and all families are welcome."

Odom and Tipton said they were glad to see Parton's supportive statement, but were disappointed that Dollywood officials declined to meet with them and their equality advocate.