Bijou Theater

      It was in 1969 that the company that founded Bijou (along with many other adult theaters and businesses) was formed. Steven Toushin, one of the orginal people in this endeavor, is still actively running the buinesses today.

      In January of 1970, the Bijou Theater opened its doors on the first floor of a four story Victorian building. The first film that played on it's screen was Ricard Nixon's Checkers Speech, named after the Nixon dog, Checkers; the film that followed was a gay porn film. The Bijou quickly became the place for men to meet men in Chicago, from tourists to conventioneers, from suburbanites to Chicagoans. In 1980, the Bijou expanded to the second floor, where men can relax and unwind was established, along with a renovated back yard for the summer months where the customers could enjoy quiet and sun shine in the great outdoors. The Bijou was now open 24/7; the party never stopped. It was in 1984 that the Bijou expanded again, taking over the third floor of the building and expanding its reputation as a place where men can meet men. The Bijou was now firmly established as the Mecca for gay men in Chicago.

      Now, nothing was all fun and games. There was a price to pay for all this fun and freedom: numerous police raids, obscenity busts both local and federal, bomb threats, self-serving homophobic politicians, bad economic times, the internet. But, through it all, the Bijou never skipped a beat; we produced numerous parties with Carol's Speakeasy and Touche. We had our porn stars, the Bijou Boys strip shows, as well as Bijou's Erotic Cabaret which consisted of erotuc skits with the performers performing to original music on our stage. We also presented special movie nights and hosted club parties. The Bijou is now celebrating 45 years of business. Yes, we've gotten a little older but we are very experienced.

      The Bijou can proudly boast - shout to the heavens - that it catered to over five and half million men from January 1970 to Dec 2010 with great satisfaction. So whenever your are in Chicago, please drop by the Bijou.

Steven Toushin