One of the nation’s oldest and biggest gay resorts faces an uncertain future.
The Orlando Sentinel reported yesterday night that the famed entertainment complex on the outskirts of the city is facing foreclosure after failing to make payments on a $7.5 million mortgage that was due at the end of last year. It is expected that the property will go into receivership later this week but will continue operations for the time being.
Some of you are scratching your heads and asking, “What is Parliament House?” but most gay men over the age of 40 have heard of it…it was a notorious gay resort of the “let’s get naked and have a lot of sex” variety for over 20 years before it was purchased by the current (hetero) owners in 1999 and remodeled into a friendlier, less seedy, less raunchy, typical Orlando style resort complex famed for hosting numerous circuit parties and hosting big name entertainers. And, while, in its hey day, it was a basically a sex club, Parliament House IS a part of gay history, like it or not, and it would be a shame if it were to go down in flames. Hopefully, they can sort out their financial problems and continue giving Orlando bound queers a place to rest their weary heads before trudging off to Epcot and Hogwarts…
I will say this; one thing the receivers need to IMMEDIATELY axe/change is the AWFUL website for the resort. I didn’t link to it above, but I will now with the warning it is LOUD, (seriously, turn off your speakers before going to the site), LAME and seemingly trapped in 1993. Resist the urge to listen to Ace of Base and put on some acid wash jeans after being raped by the horror that is the Parliament House website…you’ve been warned!
-Michael Strangeways
