Ahead of Halloween festivities, some bars around Milwaukee are warning customers one costume will not be tolerated. D.I.X. in Walker’s Point and This Is It downtown both posted on Facebook, ahead of their Halloween parties and costume contests that Jeffrey Dahmer costumes will be prohibited inside their establishments. This Is It shared the following statement with WISN 12 News: “Even though Dahmer was not a customer at This is It!, the bar has been getting phone calls ever since the Netflix series aired because we are the oldest LGBTQ+ bar in Milwaukee, and in the Midwest. This, coupled with the popularity of the series and people on social media toying with the idea that somehow dressing up like this evil person would be a good idea, led the bar to make a statement that such hateful and disrespectful costumes will not be allowed in our space.”Netflix recently released a limited 10-episode series on Dahmer.D.I.X. said it will not allow the costumes inside because they may re-traumatize members of the LGBTQ+ community who lived through the horror of Dahmer. “We understand there’s a generation out there that did not live this situation, they may not understand the severity of how it affected the community,” said Eric Hamilton, one of the bar managers at D.I.X Milwaukee. “We don’t want to put patrons in the situation where they would have to see or relive something that they had to truly experience. That’s not a costume. It’s not a costume.”Dahmer killed 17 men and boys, most of them in Milwaukee. Authorities said he met many of his victims in gay bars in Walker’s Point.”I wouldn’t be surprised if someone does (wear the Dahmer costume,) just on their own naivety, but our way of handling the situation is out of respect,” Hamilton said. “We’re not here to tell you what’s appropriate or get authoritarian on you, but at the end of the day, we will politely ask you that you either remove part of your costume so it will not affect anyone, or politely tell you to go to another bar.” Online retailer eBay also prohibited selling Dahmer Halloween costumes, saying it violates its violence and criminal policy.
Ahead of Halloween festivities, some bars around Milwaukee are warning customers one costume will not be tolerated.
D.I.X. in Walker’s Point and This Is It downtown both posted on Facebook, ahead of their Halloween parties and costume contests that Jeffrey Dahmer costumes will be prohibited inside their establishments.
This Is It shared the following statement with WISN 12 News:
“Even though Dahmer was not a customer at This is It!, the bar has been getting phone calls ever since the Netflix series aired because we are the oldest LGBTQ+ bar in Milwaukee, and in the Midwest. This, coupled with the popularity of the series and people on social media toying with the idea that somehow dressing up like this evil person would be a good idea, led the bar to make a statement that such hateful and disrespectful costumes will not be allowed in our space.”
Netflix recently released a limited 10-episode series on Dahmer.
D.I.X. said it will not allow the costumes inside because they may re-traumatize members of the LGBTQ+ community who lived through the horror of Dahmer.
“We understand there’s a generation out there that did not live this situation, they may not understand the severity of how it affected the community,” said Eric Hamilton, one of the bar managers at D.I.X Milwaukee. “We don’t want to put patrons in the situation where they would have to see or relive something that they had to truly experience. That’s not a costume. It’s not a costume.”
Dahmer killed 17 men and boys, most of them in Milwaukee. Authorities said he met many of his victims in gay bars in Walker’s Point.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone does (wear the Dahmer costume,) just on their own naivety, but our way of handling the situation is out of respect,” Hamilton said. “We’re not here to tell you what’s appropriate or get authoritarian on you, but at the end of the day, we will politely ask you that you either remove part of your costume so it will not affect anyone, or politely tell you to go to another bar.”
Online retailer eBay also prohibited selling Dahmer Halloween costumes, saying it violates its violence and criminal policy.
