This Is It!, the oldest gay bar in Wisconsin, which was co-owned by RuPaul’s Drag Race star Trixie Mattel closed its doors for good on March 9.
Founded by June Brehm, who died in 2010, and her son, Joseph Brehm, This Is It! opened in 1968 before being taken over by drag superstar and Wisconsin native Mattel, who became a co-owner with George Schneider in 2021, after seeing a number of gay bars close in Los Angeles during the pandemic.
Schneider, who started working at This Is It! as a bartender in 2010, acquired the bar in 2012 but plans to expand were hampered when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Only the intervention of Mattel, who credited This Is It! as the “first gay bar she visited after turning 21”, saved it from closing immediately.
While Mattel’s involvement delayed the inevitable, an eight-month closure of the street on which the bar is located posed an insurmountable hurdle, reports say.
“This is It! has been so much more than a nightlife spot for the queer community,” an announcement on the bar’s social media accounts said. “It has been a gathering place, a safe place, a second home, and the memories made at the bar will stay in our hearts forever.”
“We want you to know that we did everything we could to keep our doors open for you,” the post added: “It’s with much sadness, but with so much love, we bid all of you farewell. Take care of each other, and please continue to support local and queer-owned businesses.”
