Stonewall gay club orlando

ORLANDO — Managers of gay bars in Orlando face a dilemma in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting: the question of whether to close their doors out of respect or stay open to provide comfort. Leigh Stern, 36, the operations manager at Woodstock, who is grieving the loss of many friends, said his bar has been closed out of respect for the victims of the Sunday morning massacre, which left 49 dead and dozens more injured.

He said many Pulse employees would visit Woodstock on their nights off. He used to perform at their bar. Straight allies like President Obama and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer have spoken passionately and publicly in support of the gay community. That said, Stern said he also hopes the Pulse tragedy will be remembered as orlando than something that happened to the LGBT communityor something that happened to the city of Orlando.

He hopes it will help push the campaign for stricter laws limiting access to guns. But, in retrospect, this will be the new Stonewall for the younger generation. Just next door to Woodstock, another popular gay bar and hotel in Orlando, the Parliament House, was open for business. Patrons were enjoying drinks and catching up as they usually would, but many of the conversations have been a bit more serious, a bit more somber.

Tim Evanicki, the entertainment gay at Parliament House, said the bar has been in Orlando for 41 years and has always been open at times of crisis for their community — this time is no different. A few old-timers have said that the bar filled up after the space shuttle Challenger disaster in because people just wanted to be somewhere they knew was comfortable and safe.

They hosted a small vigil on Sunday night but stopped advertising after the City of Orlando asked that people not organize vigils for fear that they might run police resources too club. Parliament House, he said, typically has drag shows from 10 p. They were going to call it off, but their customers insisted that the show go on.

Parliament House waved its admission fee on Tuesday and asked for donations at the door for victims of the tragedy. Parliament House also blocked off two hotel rooms where they are offering counseling services. Evanicki said Parliament House is doing everything it can to make sure people feel safe. They already work closely with the Orlando Police Department and have security guards and strict safety guidelines, he said.

Safety is a stonewall concern all around.

Stonewall - CLOSED

A bartender at the Stonewall Orlando, which is staying open, just a three-minute drive from Parliament House, said he keeps eyeing the parking lot. He said his heart skipped a beat when someone walked in with a long black bag that looked like it could fit a rifle — it was a guitar case. Another gay bar in Orlando, Southern Nights, was not open for business on Tuesday.

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