#BIJOU THEATER CHICAGO FULL#
#BIJOU THEATER CHICAGO LICENSE#

The Bijou has never been pretty it has always been deliciously nasty and I'll keep it that way till I'm done, then I'll turn off the lights and go home. It is what sex was in the 1970s and '80s. 'There is nothing in the world like the Bijou. People are still coming out at the Bijou, we have a lot of return customers, regulars, married men, tourists who come to the big city to experience what they would never do back home, people who want to see porn in a sexual environment with other men, people that want anonymous sex. We're always getting in new people from Chicago who have heard of us, seen our ads. Wählen Sie aus erstklassigen Inhalten zum Thema Bijou Theater (Chicago) in höchster Qualität. 'The Bijou is too intimidating young men have to get to know themselves better. Finden Sie Stock-Fotos zum Thema Bijou Theater (Chicago) sowie redaktionelle Newsbilder von Getty Images. 'The Bijou customer, since the first day I opened the theater, has never been young, the 18-to-25-year-old crowd,' Toushin said. He told Windy City Times in 2011 that the previous five years had been difficult, given the advent of Internet pornography and a reduced amount of convention business in the city. He has had a number of legal skirmishes over the years, including a conviction for tax evasion in the late '80s and a number of obscenity indictments. Toushin was put in charge of the Bijou in 1970 the venue began showing gay films exclusively in 1978. I received vacation and sick pay places that do that for a part-time job, I imagine, are few and far between these days.'īijou World, Toushin's mail-order and online video business, will remain open, but Toushin said he did not yet know where it will relocate to. They were gay-friendly, lesbian-friendly and trans-friendly there. He said, 'I got to see the gay community evolve in that place. 'We appreciate and thank the gay community, and have been grateful to be a part of it for 46 years.'Īctivist Michael O'Connor has had a part-time job at the theater for several years, and said he'll miss it. The admiral theatre does in fact have many couples, but the booths on the second floor tend. 'I'm working with David Boyer at Touche to put together something for the last week so that we can go out on a high note,' he said. When reached for comment, Toushin told Windy City Times that he had 'little to add' beyond the message. 'I wanted to have a bit more time if I was going to close down after all these years.' 'It's not the way I wanted to go out,' he said.

#BIJOU THEATER CHICAGO LICENSE#

Ownership changes of buildings and leases change.'īijou cannot move because its license is tied to the location, he added. 'The end of days has come to Bijou after 46 years,' Toushin said in the message.

#BIJOU THEATER CHICAGO FULL#

Its last full 24-hour day of operation will be Sept. By using this site, you agree to the use of cookies by Flickr and our partners as described in our cookie policy. 30.Īccording to a recorded message left by owner Steve Toushin at the theater's phone number, Bijou lost its lease at its longtime Old Town location. This site uses cookies to improve your experience and to help show content that is more relevant to your interests. Real estate values in that area have gone ballistic.Bijou Theater, 1349 N. I’m sure if any such operation were to try and open from scratch at such a locale today, the surrounding yuppie parents would block it to no end. I was always amazed that the Bijou stood the test of time, with a Chicago public grade school located essentially kitty corner & across the street. The Bijou Theater in Chicago, Illinois first opened its doors at the dawn of the gay liberation movement in 1970 and stood as a singularly unique landmark of LGBT history until its closing in 2015. Until the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum opened up across the street. The Royal London Wax Museum down the street was more our interest. Even though we grew up in the area, we never set foot in this place. Though the theatre may specialize in gay porn, I believe the accompanying book/DVD store caters to a hetero adult clientele as well. Might have just been the media trying to link the theatre to other seedy activities. Though I’m not sure if this was ever proven to be true, or just speculation due to the bomber’s supposed criminal ties. There was also an apparent failed bombing in the early `90’s that I mentioned over on the Aardvark CT page.Īccording to news reports at the the time, the would be bomber accidentally blew himself up while alledgedly enroute to the Bijou. There were giant mugs shots from the `70’s in the gallery window. that had an exhibit based on the owner of the Bijou.

A few years back there was an art gallery further North on Wells St.

Bijou theater chicago