The following is a re-printing of a Parliament House retrospective which Wanzie was asked to write for inclusion in the current issue of NOW Magazine which is now on newsstands at all your favorite gay & lesbian waterholes:

The Parliament House was a neglected relic of the pre-Disney era at the time gay couple and entrepreneurs Bill Miller and Michael Hodge bought the failing "motor court" in 1975. The PH had been left to wither when Interstate-4 opened, and the once well-traveled Orange Blossom Trail (OBT) no longer played host to the bulk of the tourist traffic. When Disney opened in 1974 and visitors wanted to stay as close to the Magic Kingdom as possible, that spelled the death toll for the motel that used to play host to monthly Rotary Club meetings and garden club luncheons. As the property values of the many motels along the OBT plummeted, Miller and Hodge seized the opportunity to snag the PH at a bargain price, creating what, at that time, would be one of only two openly gay accommodations and night club complexes in the United States of America.

As the abandoned OBT fell into decline and business were shuttered, the Parliament House was reborn as a gay mecca; a booming business which has survived more than three decades through three sets of owners.

The very private and more business-oriented Bill Miller died in 1987, leaving the PH to the more gregarious and beloved Michael Hodge who, along with resident show hostess Miss P, was the face of the Parliament House. When Hodge passed away in 1992, the property passed to his family who were not necessarily spiritually comfortable with owning a business that catered to homosexuals...but they did like the cash flow. Unfortunately, their hands-off ownership meant the PH fell into serious decline, and was literally caving in upon itself when unlikely new owners Don Granatstein and Susan Unger acquired the property in 1999.

This straight Jewish couple appeared very suspect to most longtime PH patrons who were quite concerned about the future of their gay fantasyland. And while the transition from the Hodge estate to the new Canadian owners was not without its hiccups, the almost immediate investment of 2 million dollars in renovations and clean ups was an early sign that the Parliament House was on the fast track to return to its glory days as a premiere GLBT destination.

Most notably, Susan Unger immediately took out the parking lot that separated the pool from the lodgings and created "The Courtyard." Guest rooms were refurnished, new lights and sound were installed in the Disco and in the Theater, and beefed up security and new exterior lighting made the PH inviting once again. The adjoining Carolina Moon Trailer Court was razed to make way for the first phase of THE GARDENS - America's first alternative lifestyle vacation ownership resort.

During an Orlando Weekly interview in 2004, the "information officer" of the Orlando Police Department declared, "The club (PH) is considered a good partner in the business community."  Sergeant Orlando Rolan went on to praise the new owners for helping to "clean-up the area" and making the PH a "safe place to visit."

One may only speculate how the Parliament House will continue to mature in the future, but it is fun to look back from whence it came:

The Disco used to be THE BARON OF BEEF Restaurant where many a real estate and/or political deal was made over good wine and prime rib shortly after the PH opened to the general public. What is now the video bar used to be THE PANTHER ROOM, where straight couples could enjoy cocktails along with live music and variety acts.  What is now the Footlight Theatre and its adjoining lounge was at one time a one-level convention and meeting room where even Tupperware ladies were known to have rallied. The dining and meeting complex was called THE ABBEY, which accounts for the drunken (cement) monk that still stands watch on the OBT side of the building till this day.

When Miller and Hodge re-launched the PH as a gay entertainment complex, one of the first businesses located within its environs was a barber shop situated in the area which in now The Service Station bar; it was called THE GAY BLADE. Over the years, what is now The Rainbow Cafe operated as SUNSHINE'S, GRANNIE'S KITCHEN, and even THE DUGOUT.

Though this venerable property has undergone many changes, the familiar red and yellow neon, oval-shaped Parliament House sign has consistently served as a welcoming beacon to Gays and Lesbians from around the world for 35 years. That longevity, and the PH sign itself, stand as testament to the courage and vision of Bill Miller and Michael Hodge, who took a failing motel that catered mostly to Florida crackers and the family tourist, and turned it into "The World's Most Famous all Gay Resort."

Use code: fringefriends to receive 25% off your tickets! With the discount, tickets are only $15!  

Friday, July 16

7:30 PM

Harriet Coleman Center

Lake Highland Prep

901 North Highland Avenue
Orlando, FL    32803

Tickets:

http://toxicaudio.eventbrite.com 

COMEDY - Mama's HUGE 1 Year Anniversary Show!

It's our 1 year anniversary of Mama's - the weekly comedy showcase at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Theater (without the dinner), and they are presenting the biggest show they can to celebrate! The producers promise not only great comedy but also "AMAZING surprises in store for everyone."

Mama's Comedy Show
1 Year Anniversary Celebration

Friday, July 23

10 PM

Sleuth's Mystery Dinner Theater
8267 International Drive

(Near Ripley's Believe It Or Not)
Orlando, Florida   32819

$10

Reservations: 407.363.1985

Aug 7    FUDDY MEERS     Footlight Theatre

Aug 7    FIRE & ICE PARTY - Parliament House

Aug 13  STEEL MAGNOLIAS  Wayne Densch PAC

Aug 21  VEGAS NIGHT - Parliament House

Aug. 28  RED CHAIR AFFAIR - Bob Carr PAC