LGBTQ HISTORY MUSEUM OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, INC. - History Articles

Looking Back on 36 years of the Loving Committed Network (LCN)

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 18:14:53 GMT

LCN Express: October 1984. From the LGBTQ History Museum Archives.

October 2020 marks the 36th anniversary of the Loving Committed Network (LCN), a LGBTQ women's social group that met from 1984-1994. LCN did not have officers or board members, but instead was an organic group that met monthly at various member's homes. Members might socialize or play games, but also took up civic causes such as getting people registered to vote.

The Loving Committed Network released a monthly newsletter, the LCN Express, that included articles, ads, and information about its monthly meetings. Though the newsletter was started in July 1984, it was called No Name until October 1984, when it was named via a contest. Our archives include scanned copies of past issues of the LCN Express—both before and after it was named—that you can find in the LCN Express collection:
https://floridalgbtqmuseum.omeka.net/collections/show/38.

Who is Miss P? New Year’s Eve Celebration at Parliament House, Orlando 1999

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 16:30:21 GMT

By Alexis Rodriguez

Central Florida’s LGBTQ history has remained somewhat of an enigma to many young people who live in the area. Of course, in terms of a national Queer narrative, it seems like San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, or New York City have held the historical torch of sexual resistance to the United States’ heteronormativity. Central Florida on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have much of a story for many in the Millenial and Generation Z generation, including myself. Through interning at the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida, I learned such was not the case. As mentioned before, (if you have not read the first article “Who is Miss P? Conversations about the historical significance of local drag and Parliament house at the Footlight Theatre,” please check it out to understand this one), Orlando has a deep history that, when given voice, shows the significance of a greater community of LGBTQ activism that developed in the late 20th century.

The significance of drag performance can be understood in the context of Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity (don’t worry, I won’t bore you with post-Foucauldian theories). In brief, Butler argues that gender is a socially constructed act, one that through performance reinforces the individual to identify as that supposed gender presented as a norm to that sex. Using the idea of drag personas as an example, Butler points out that through the performance of said gender by a set of particular mannerisms, the person acting is in fact challenging heteronormativity of said societies. Long story short, Butler used drag performances to further perpetuate her theory. How cool is that? Now you must be wondering what does this have to do with Miss P (Paul Wegman) and New Year’s Eve in 1999? Keep reading this article and you will find out.

Last month when I met with Loc Robertson, bartender and Drag performer at Parliament House, our conversation ventured through the historical significance of the Footlight Theatre for Central Florida’s drag culture and of Miss P. As mentioned before, Paul Wegman, known as Miss P, emerged on the drag scene in the early 1970’s at Palace Club and then later at Parliament House in 1975. The character of Miss P, a woman without reservation who would throw witty insults to her audiences, became the main source of entertainment at the Parliament House. In reality, former and current employees who worked during Wegman’s tenure as MC say that people didn’t come for the Parliament House, they came for Miss P. Vicki Bebout, one of the bartenders, mentioned that “He didn’t realize that people came to the Parliament House to see him…very rarely did people come through the front door and ask if somebody else in the show was working. It was always is P here tonight? Is P going to be working, because he was very unique.”[1] Although Miss P didn’t participate in pageants like many drag performers, his popularity grew and so did Parliament’s; to where it even perhaps overshadowed his illustrious acting career outside of drag. For many who don’t know, Paul Wegman was a prominent actor for the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre; he always considered himself an actor and Miss P a character. “There was always Paul, and then there was P at the Parliament House,” explained Mark Edward Smith, an actor and Wegman’s friend, to the Orlando Sentinel; he reiterated that “To me, they were never the same people.”[2]
While Loc and I discussed Miss P, it seemed that the one thing that kept coming up was the 1999 New Year’s Eve celebration at Parliament House, when Miss P made her entrance coming down from a helicopter. A drag queen coming down from a helicopter? Yes, you read that right. I repeat, a drag queen coming down from a helicopter on New Year’s Eve to commence the millennial celebration. Paul Wegman’s drag character was known for capturing the audience’s attention and was, in the words of Mark Smith, “…just a brilliant improvisational comedian.”[3] As 1999 came to an end, Parliament House owners Don Granatstein and Susan Unger wanted to do something dramatic for the celebration. Someone suggested that perhaps Miss P could be dropped off into the courtyard at midnight. According to Susan, Miss P was willing to do it.[4] I mean let’s be honest, what better way to start the party and attract a crowd but with a flying queen in a Peter Pan costume?
After we had finished much of the interview in the Footlight Theatre, Robertson took us to the stage by the pool to talk about the Parliament House set-up and how Don and Susan originally renovated the area to facilitate more privacy for patrons. In this moment I asked him if he could give some further detail about that eventful night and he obliged:
(Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNq1MvK-Uc0&feature=youtu.be)
Now you must be wondering (or perhaps you have forgotten) what does this have to do with gender performativity? Well to extend the way Butler used drag queens as an example of resistance to “gender norms,” who Miss P was symbolized so much more. Even though Paul Wegman would argue that Miss P was a character for a club where old bitter queens who got stuck living in Orlando gathered, who Miss P symbolized for many was fearlessness and strength. We have to remember that Orlando’s gay/drag scene was quite small and reserved, especially in the 1970’s when Wegman began to create the Miss P character. Willie Tillmon, also known as Geraldine Jones and a close friend of Paul’s, explained that Orlando’s gay scene at the time was pretty much nothing and he compared it to other places he visited during his travels as military personnel during the Vietnam War. Miss P not only represented a character in some drag show but also a transition in time where drag icons became symbols of sexual resistance and nonconformity. One only needs to read about the Tenderloin and Stonewall riots to see what I’m talking about. While many would point to several drag performers who fought against sexual oppression during the 1970’s, the character of Miss P not only inadvertently fought against having to perform in a pageant to be “memorialized” but also personified what it means to be a drag queen in the modern day. I mean having a drag queen be dropped down in the courtyard of a gay resort at the turn of the millennium is something amusing, inspiring and in several ways' revolutionary. It is not always about how the performer closely resembles a woman or if they are in the forefront of political protests. Sometimes we need a moment to just laugh amidst all the troubles we face and have a drag queen call us out to reflect on ourselves. At the end, the greatest act that we will ever see is in the mirror.

[1] https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2004-08-25-0408240331-story.html

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV7jKjWtZuA&t=764s

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV7jKjWtZuA&t=1717s

[4] https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2004-08-25-0408240331-story.html

Who is Miss P? Conversations about the historical significance of local drag and Parliament House at the Footlight Theatre (Part 1)

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 04:00:00 GMT

By Alexis Rodriguez

Image credit: Image courtesy of LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida. For all other purposes please email: floridalgbtqmuseum@gmail.com. Images may be used for educational purposes only.

The colorful crowd, loud music, the open declaration of love and drag performers; yes, it’s Pride. The month of pride has played an important part in both demonstrating the presence of LGBTQ communities in the United States, and the power in collective resistance through innumerable parades that engulf the streets. From the Stonewall riots and the Pulse nightclub massacre to the recent lawsuit against the Trump administration by a coalition of LGBTQ groups towards the stripping of medical protection for the trans community; it would seem that our reality is a political war zone. Regardless of the attempts made against the community, our culture continues to dance and celebrate life, especially with its drag performances. What’s more rebellious than a man in “women’s clothing”?
Most of our history has remained predominately within the scope of the club and bar scene. In several ways it has been, as Michael Wanzie would suggest, a haven where you could truly be yourself.[1] Spaces within Central Florida like Southern Nights, Parliament House, Sadie’s, Faces, Bradley’s and countless others that have come and gone have permitted everyone from all walks of life to escape reality for a just moment and enjoy a few drinks, music and drag shows.

Images may be used for educational purposes only. Image credit: Image courtesy of LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida. For all other purposes please email: floridalgbtqmuseum@gmail.com

Images may be used for educational purposes only.

Before RuPaul’s Drag Race and the burst of contemporary drag performers, such performances were considered a social taboo. Interestingly enough, it stirred controversy even within the LGBTQ community during the prime day of gay activism in the 1960’s and 70’s. When The Queen, a behind the scenes documentary of drag queen beauty contests in New York City was released in 1968, a member of the Society for Individual Rights (SIR) commented, “…this film does more harm than good in furthering an understanding between the straight and gay world,” as it further perpetuated a biased image of the “effeminate gay man”.[2] As time went on, the historical presence of drag in Queer narrative was made apparent; transforming into a prominent symbol of rebellion against heteronormativity, as popularly shown through the 1968 Tenderloin riots or the 1969 Stonewall riots, where the Queens fought back against the police. Fast forward to the present day, drag culture has become so popular that shows like Pose and RuPaul’s Drag Race have made themselves a household name (Miss Vaaaaaaanjieee for those who get the reference). As it continues capturing everyone’s attention, it would seem that to make it as a drag performer, one has to make it on RuPaul. Yet some would contest to that.
Earlier this week I met with Loc Robertson, bartender and drag performer at Parliament House to gather some history and information about Miss P and the Footlight Theatre. As part of my internship, I began conducting research for several images of drag queens that are archived at the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida, which unfortunately have no information. For those who don’t know, Miss P (known as Paul Wegman) was originally the MC for Parliament House, before Darcel’s tenure up to the present day. But why Miss P? To understand this, one needs to understand the theatre. The Footlight Theatre at Parliament House has remained quintessential for many drag queens to perform and become famous. Queens like RuPaul, Alaska Thunderf*ck, Bianca Del Rio, Sharron Needles and so many others have journeyed and performed at this place. Even local Leigh Shannon, owner of Ritzy Rags and former employee, in reference to Parliament said that, “They come from all over to visit this place. The shows, the icon factor, it’s world famous… that’s why I moved to Orlando 29 years ago. I landed a job there as a performer.”[3]
     As we journeyed between these thick black curtains on the stage, Loc Robertson pointed out some of the famous queens that performed there as well as the greater significance of Footlight Theatre to drag culture. “Because of this theatre, people from all over the country want to work here, and you know a lot of places and a lot of big name girls have worked at a little neighborhood bar that has a little tiny stage in a corner, if that, or might be on a dance floor. So, to have the curtains and an actual theatre-style setting, the girls love that, you know? It’s usually an honor to work here…all the plays they had here, plus they do a lot of different type of things here.” He even mentioned how the very curtains augmented and enhanced the performers’ act and dress or costume. “Chuckles used to be the soundperson for many years, and he would always decorate backstage with a different theme, but Susan saw it and was like its better with a black curtain behind you because you can really get to see what the person is wearing and it’s not about the background, as much as it is about the person.”
     Robertson paused as we stood in the center of the stage and looked up towards the ceiling and smiled. “I never saw a photo but there was a swing here, where they would just hook the thing and Miss P had one number that she would swing over the audience…it was pretty cool too.”
      Paul Wegman, known as Miss P, was born and raised in Rochester, New York and moved to Florida in the 1960's, where he graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Theatre at the University of Central Florida. The character Miss P came about in the early 1970’s at Palace Club, near the Orlando Executive Airport but became established at Parliament in 1975. Here, he could be Miss P without reservation, as known for her witty insults to the audiences, while at the same time venturing out and presenting a number of gay-themed plays.[4]

Images may be used for educational purposes only. Image credit: Image courtesy of LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida.

Most of those who have seen the shows at Footlight know how crowded it gets inside and you must rush to get a good spot to watch it. One Sunday night, I came too late and stood in the back, tiptoeing to see who was performing and looking around for a better spot. In that moment, I noticed a framed photo of drag performer but thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until Loc and I gazed across the theatre during the interview, that the familiar image had a name. Miss P. “That photo over there, that photo I took as well on this stage and it’s from the cover of the Paul Wegman Documentary,” Robertson commented as we walked across the stage to the image of the famous one eyebrow look that Paul started in mid-1990’s. “At the end of her career she did the one eyebrow thing, but I don’t know why, it was just her kind of signature thing. And it’s exciting for me that a photograph I took is something that memorialized.”
While Robertson gave some back stories, he explained to me that Willie Tillmon would be the best person to talk to about all of this. Tillmon or known on stage as Geraldine Jones, is a performer who worked alongside Miss P throughout the 45 years at Parliament House’s gay tenure and still is there, pulling the curtains for the queens. “She could’ve been retired many years ago but likes to work because that’s what keeps her young. But she is the curtain puller for every pageant, she keeps the girls in check, and she would be somebody who you should interview, and I can do that.” (He pulled his phone out and messaged Tillmon to schedule an interview before I could speak. Tillmon agreed.)
What started as research for gathering some information to add to photos that were missing dates, location and even the performers now became something more. Most young people, including myself tend to view Parliament House in a rather critical light. However, the further I research, the more I become aware of the significance of Orlando’s drag culture on the greater LGBTQ community through the Footlight Theatre. As we walked back on stage to head to the dressing room, Loc explained that some of Paul’s ashes were put under the stage because they wanted some of her spirit to live on, as well as everyone who performed on the stage to have a little touch of Miss P. If international drag queens, Robertson explained, gravitate to performing at the Footlight Theatre, what does it say of the performer who was its MC? Reflecting on this, I realized that regardless of everything, the Footlight Theatre will always remain an important part of the drag scene and her spirit.

Images may be used for educational purposes only. Image credit: Image courtesy of LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida. For all other purposes please email: floridalgbtqmuseum@gmail.com

[1] https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2020/06/18/lgbtq-history-in-central-florida
[2] Betty Luther Hillman, “ ’The most profoundly revolutionary act a homosexual can engage in’: Drag and the Politics of Gender Presentation in the San Francisco Gay Liberation Movement, 1964–1972,” Journal of the History of Sexuality Vol. 20, No. 1 (January 2011), pp. 153-154.
[3] https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2014/7/26/parliament_house_fil
[4] https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2004-08-25-0408240331-story.html

Parliament House Motor Inns

Thu, 24 Sep 2015 04:00:00 GMT

As part of the research I did for the 40 Years of the Parliament House documentary, I uncovered a great deal of information about the Parliament House Motor Inn chain. Many only the know the Parliament House as a gay resort in Orlando, but prior to 1976, it was the first in a fledgling chain of motor inns that one day hoped to become a nationwide competitor to the Holiday Inn franchise.

Parliament House Opening Courtyard

The Parliament House Motor Inn chain was started by Kansas City, MO investors Ned Eddy and his sons Ned, Jr. and James. They started in the food and beverages business running the successful Eddy’s Restaurant in Kansas City, MO. They gave the Parliament House properties an English royalty theme with the slogan, "Built for the House of Lords...priced for the House of Commons." Their goal was a 9 city chain by 1964. They never made their goal and filed for bankruptcy on June 8, 1965 when they claimed to operate 8 properties. They listed liabilities of $5 million in the court filings. We have been able to identify 7 of the 8 Parliament House locations. Here is what we know about them.

Orlando, FL
The 120 room lakeside motor inn in Orlando Florida was the first motor inn in the chain. It opened on Sunday February 11, 1962. The opening was televised by local station WLOF Channel 9. It was built on Orlando’s Rock Lake by Hodes and Cumming Construction, the same company that built the iconic Kanes furniture store on West Colonial Drive. The architect was Alan Berman. The Baron of Beef Restaurant and adjacent conference center opened a few months later on June 12, 1962. Ned Eddy, Jr acted as manager and his brother James (Jimmy) Eddy was manager of the cocktail lounge.

The Parliament House Motor Inn was popular spot for meetings and weddings. It was used by nearby Tupperware World Headquarters for meetings, was the site of numerous Florida Voters League meetings, and the NAACP legislative conference.

In 1972, Jim Ritter, the assistant manager was quoted as saying “May’s always been dead around here and 1972 is no different, but we expect to be booked full two weeks ahead all summer” referring to the recent opening of Walt Disney World and the expected influx of visitors. The influx of visitors never happened as thousands of competing hotel and motel rooms were built on International Drive and along Kissimmee’s Highway 192. The Parliament House began to cater to the seedier clientele of prostitutes who settled into the declining area of Orange Blossom Trail. By 1975 the motor inn was near bankruptcy when the owners were approached by Bill Miller and Michael Hodge. They purchased the Parliament House for $648,000 on March 27, 1975 and converted it into gay and lesbian resort and nightclub.

Birmingham, AL
Parliament House Hotel was an 11-story, 237-room hotel which occupied the west side of 20th Street South between 4th and 5th Avenues from 1964 to 2008. It opened for guests on January 2, 1964.

Ned Eddy and his sons Ned, Jr and James of Kansas City purchased the hotel while it was under construction as the crown of their Parliament House chain. Guest room telephones were among the first to feature direct room-to-room calling and a flashing message light.

It was imploded on December 17, 2007

Parliament House Motor Inn in Clearwater Beach, FL.

Clearwater Beach, FL
The first 120 room beach front Parliament House opened in 1963 adjacent to the newly built Clearwater Pass toll bridge, but fell into receivership and became a Hilton hotel franchise on December 11, 1965. The manager was a gentleman named William P. Wright. It was built at a cost of $900,000 and also included the popular Baron of Beef restaurant run by head chef Otto Schmidt (from Miami Beach) and featured Kansas City Sirloins. The adjacent Cork Room lounge featured nightly entertainment. It eventually became known as the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort, which was demolished along with the adjacent Adam’s Mark hotel to make way for a condominium project in 2007. The lot is currently empty.

Baton Rouge, LA
The Parliament House Lake Shore Baton Rouge opened in 1963 and included 321 rooms and the Arcadia dining room which was well known to the cities locals. It was later known as “Inn on the Lake”, “Safari Inn”, and “Lakeside Motor Inn”. Its address was 1575 Riverside North shown in legal documents but we have been unable to locate this exact address. There are no known photographs of this location. Other possible names are Governor's Inn, the Lakeshore Statler-Hilton Inn, the White House Inn and finally the Inn on the Lake. Inn on The Lake, Inc., 1575 N 3Rd St Baton Rouge, LA 70802.

Augusta, GA
Construction of the 120 room Augusta Georgia Parliament House started on December 16, 1963 on Broad and Ellis Street. It featured a 300 person banquet hall, lounge, and heated swimming pool. It was designed by Fress Camner Associates in Miami, Florida. There are no known photographs of this location. It is not affiliated with the currently operating Parliament Resort on 1250 Gordon Highway.

Atlanta, GA
That Atlanta Parliament House later became the Ramada Inn on 70 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue. It was also known as the Atlanta Palms resort and E Hotel. It was gutted and then used as part of an 18 story Georgia State University dorm tower in 2013. It is now known as One12 Courtland.

Panama City
We have been unable to confirm the existence of a Parliament House in Panama City but it is mentioned in several newspaper articles in the 1960’s. We are assuming it was Panama City, FL but we aren’t really sure. 8 were mentioned in bankruptcy paperwork and this would only account for 7 so we aren’t sure if one was in Panama City, FL and the 8th was in Panama? Anyone with knowledge of the Parliament House in Panama City is encouraged to contact us.

David Bain

Originally posted 24 September, 2015

The Human Heart - Orlando Couple Finds Love Through Activism

Tue, 19 May 2015 04:00:00 GMT

(The Human Heart, Loch Haven Park, Orlando Fl on Feb. 14 2014 organized by Nicki Drumb and Rachel Gardiner (center).)

Feb. 14, 2008. Rachel Gardiner and Nicki Drumb stand in the Orlando Courthouse, holding hands in front of the clerk as, yet again, they’re refused a marriage license.

“The first year I went to the courthouse, I felt like the clerk across the table was the enemy,” said Drumb. “But that’s a very narrow perspective. They’re just doing their job.”

After facing disappointment, every year they drive over to Loch Haven Park for a peace-out Drumb organizes: The Human Heart. Drumb started The Human Heart in 2008, after Florida passed Amendment Two that defined marriage as between a man and a woman, thereby cutting out the possibility of civil unions or same-sex marriages.

“I just wanted to take a moment to stop being political and angry, because we love each other and that feels great,” said Drumb. “That’s the joy of my life and the lives of so many other people, and for the gay couples who just want to adopt a child, love a child and who can’t do that here.”

The 2008 election buoyed Drumb’s spirits.

“I remember being excited about Obama and the change that was coming for a couple days, but a few days later I was driving somewhere and I had to pull over. I was crying,” said Drumb. “I took it very personally, and I was just so sad about Amendment Two passing. I was surprised, but I guess I really shouldn’t have been.”

At the end of Jan. Drumb decided that she needed to do something. Gardiner supported her. The first Human Heart was planned in about two weeks, and the upcoming demonstration presented Drumb with a mountain of anxiety.

“I remember standing there thinking, nobody’s going to show up. I didn’t advertise it much. It was so fast,” said Drumb. “We ended up having 99 people and two dogs in attendance.”

Both Drumb and Gardiner considered this a success.

Drumb met Gardiner in 2002 at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando during a reading of Lysistrata, an ancient Greek play by Aristophanes in which women withhold sex from men in an attempt to stop a war they find unjust. The reading took place as national protest against the Iraq war.

However, their relationship really started building in 2005 after the attack on a boy who ‘seemed to be gay’ while he was walking down Mills Ave. in Orlando.

“The community was very much outraged by it, and the church ended up helping organize a protest on Valentine’s day and it was called The Love Not Hate March,” said Gardiner. “Nikki and I, like two years after we first met, started e-mailing back and forth about what kind of signs we wanted to make for the march. We were just acting funny and goofy and flirty through e-mail with each other about this march.”

On the day of the march, the two, along with other members of the First Unitarian Church, paraded through the streets of Orlando.

“It became very obvious that this wasn’t just a new friend,” said Drumb. “I was very attracted to her and I kept telling myself ‘Think about why you’re here. People get beat up for this, just for looking gay. Stay where you’re safe’, but then I was just like ‘Oh well, too bad. Beat up, or not I’ve got to do something about this.’ ”

The two grew even closer, spending time in groups at first. They tried to take things slow, with Drumb still unravelling her marriage. However, once the divorce finalized, the couple committed to one another.

“We moved in together pretty much right away. Everything fit so well and everything was perfect,” said Drumb. “A year after that I asked her to marry me and a year after that we got married. We had a ceremony in the church. Marriage wasn’t legal yet.”

However, when New York State legalized same-sex marriage which prompted Drumb to proposed again.

August 6 2011. The two women walked down the streets of Manhattan, loudly proclaiming their love for each other by sporting Bride One and Bride Two shirts handcrafted for the occasion: Drumb and Gardiner are legally married.

“People will tell you that New Yorkers are unfriendly people, and that nobody meets your eyes. That is patently untrue,” said Gardiner. “There was this one guy just as we were coming out of city hall, we were standing at the curb in lower manhattan, very busy, taxi’s rushing around. this guy in a dark suit with a briefcase came to stand next to us at the curb, and he looked over and he saw our shirts. He just nodded and said ‘Congratulations’.”

Miki Shine

Originally posted on Miki's personal blog; 19 May, 2015
Posted here with permission.