Austin drag queen Brigitte Bandit receives pink, bejeweled guitar from Dolly Parton

Hannah Ortega, Austin American-Statesman
·1 min read
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Brigitte Bandit testifies against Senate Bill 12 at the Texas Capitol in March. The measure, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, created civil and criminal penalties for anyone involved with "sexually oriented performances" in front of minors. The law was ruled unconstitutional in September due to freedom of speech concerns.
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Drag queen Brigitte Bandit, who calls herself the "Dolly of ATX," received the gift of a lifetime from her country queen idol last week.

In front of a cheering crowd, Brigitte unwrapped an autographed, one-of-a-kind pink guitar complete with shining butterflies and Brigitte's initials in rhinestones. Parton's signature reads: "To Brigitte. Love, Dolly Parton."

The gift came after a short video of Brigitte's friends and peers expressing their gratitude for her work in the Texas legislature this past year. The drag queen made headlines across Texas and even the nation for speaking out against bills attempting to ban drag in the Lone Star State.

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A post shared by Brigitte Bandit (@brigittebandit)

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This work is exactly what caught the attention of Dolly Parton Productions, according to an Instagram video of Brigitte receiving the guitar. Selma Bawdy, another performer in the drag space, said in the video that Dolly Parton Productions reached out about a month ago to ask how they could say thank you to Brigitte for her work in the legislature.

In an interview for the Statesman's Truly Texan podcast in August, Brigitte said Dolly Parton had yet to notice her but that such attention would be a dream come true. Now, holding the special guitar with a huge smile, Brigitte wrote on Instagram: "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 @dollyparton thank you so much for helping me find my strength in femininity and kindness."

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas drag queen receives one-of-a-kind guitar from Dolly Parton