Bijou Theater controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
Back to profile4 entries
1991
Connection to Jeffrey Dahmer case
Jeffrey Dahmer reportedly frequented the venue, and employee Jeremiah Weinberger was one of Dahmer's murder victims. The case contributed to fear and reduced attendance at some gay establishments during the subsequent trials.
1980
Legal disputes involving Steven Toushin
The owner faced obscenity indictments and other disputes with law enforcement, as well as a tax-evasion conviction in the late 1980s.
1976
Murder of co-owner Paul Gonsky
Paul Gonsky was murdered in Old Town. The case has been associated in historical accounts with organized-crime figure Frank Schweihs, although no charge was brought against him for the killing.
1975
Controversy surrounding the film Him
The venue screened Ed D. Louie's gay pornographic film Him. The film's extreme premise and later disappearance made it a subject of controversy; by 2025, no surviving copy had been located and some accounts questioned whether it was genuine.