Lily Tomlin remembers Dolly Parton as a friend and legendary LGBTQ+ ally at Out100 gala

Dolly Parton’s legacy extended far beyond country music. For generations of LGBTQ+ fans, she was a source of joy, acceptance, and unwavering support. At Thursday night’s Out100 gala at Sunset Room & Laya in Los Angeles, her longtime friend and costar on the 1980 film 9 to 5, Lily Tomlin, helped celebrate the woman behind that legacy.

Parton died on August 25 at age 80. The Advocate later named Parton its 2026 Advocate of the Year, honoring her extraordinary career and decades of LGBTQ+ allyship.

Related: Dolly Parton: Advocate of the Year, Ally of a Lifetime

“It feels so comforting to be surrounded by so many people, friends and fans who love and admire Dolly the way I do,” Tomlin told the audience.

As she worked through her tribute, Tomlin paused. “I can’t get through this,” she said, before continuing to describe the love her friend had for others.

“How could she be so endearing, so playful, yet so strong and powerful?” Tomlin asked.

For Tomlin, Parton’s ability to make other people feel special was inseparable from her own singular presence.

“She was radically authentic. She could connect with anyone. And the only thing bigger than her hair was her legendary heart,” she said.

That heart, Tomlin told the audience, had room for people whose lives looked very different from Parton’s own.

“There was room in there in that heart for all of us, from one poor family in East Tennessee to a queer kid in East LA,” she said. “If you’ve ever felt like an outsider at one time in your life or feel like you didn’t belong, Dolly invited us in and told us she loved us and we loved her right back.”

Tomlin described Parton’s bond with her LGBTQ+ family as “unbreakable.” Her embrace of the community, she said, demonstrated that the traditions Parton grew up with did not require her to reject anyone else.

“Dolly proved that you don’t have to choose between tradition and acceptance,” Tomlin said. “You can be a Christian girl from Tennessee who loves transgender people.”

She also celebrated Parton’s commitment to children’s literacy and workers’ rights, joking about the work ethic of the woman whose anthem made 9 to 5 a rallying cry.

“Dolly worked twenty-four seven,” Tomlin said.

Parton’s sister, Stella Parton, accepted the award, thanking Tomlin and asking the audience to carry forward a quality she missed from their near-daily conversations.

“The thing about my sister was she was like a kaleidoscope. She saw a little bit of herself in each one of you,” Stella Parton said.

“And the thing that I miss most about talking with her just about every day is her optimism," she added. "And I want you to keep that alive.”

The 2026 Out100, presented by Lexus, brought together some of the year’s most notable LGBTQ+ changemakers. Parton’s sister, Stella Parton, also took the stage to honor the late singer, while RuPaul’s Drag Race star Ginger Minj and drag performer and activist Miss Bouveé celebrated her with a drag tribute.