By: Michael Jacobs – Senior Correspondent | LGBT Entertainment News
MILWAUKEE — (March 15, 2026) — A beloved Milwaukee LGBTQ gathering space connected to drag superstar Trixie Mattel is set to receive official historic recognition, preserving the legacy of one of Wisconsin’s most influential queer nightlife venues.
State preservation officers with the Wisconsin Historical Society have approved the installation of a historic marker honoring the former location of This Is It! (1968–2025), a long-running LGBTQ bar that served the community for nearly six decades before closing in 2025.
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Founded in 1968 by June Brehm and her son Joseph, the bar became a cornerstone of Milwaukee’s LGBTQ social life and a safe gathering place for generations of residents across the Great Lakes region.
The venue gained renewed national attention in 2021 when Mattel — winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars — joined the ownership group while the bar worked to recover from pandemic-era economic challenges.
“Everyone in town has a personal story or anecdote, or sometimes even a night they can barely remember [there],” Mattel told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at the time. “The exterior has rainbow accents that invite all walks of life into the space, and remind people to come in and act right.”
For decades, This Is It! served as far more than a nightlife venue. Many patrons viewed it as a community hub where friendships formed, celebrations were held, and LGBTQ residents could gather openly in a welcoming environment.
Its sudden closure in March 2025 came as a shock to many longtime supporters, especially because the bar shut down without a final farewell event.
“This Is It! has been so much more than a nightlife spot for the queer community,” the business wrote in its closing announcement. “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.”
Now, that legacy will be formally recognized.
According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, the historic marker will be installed at the venue’s former address — 418 East Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee — later this summer. Officials say the marker will be placed in a publicly accessible location, with a dedication ceremony expected to follow.
The effort to secure the landmark recognition involved collaboration between property owner Joel Lee, the East Town Association, and the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center.
“Since first meeting June shortly after acquiring the building, I was fortunate to enjoy a wonderful, decades-long landlord-tenant relationship with her and her son that developed into meaningful personal friends,” Lee told the Journal Sentinel.
Once installed, the marker will ensure that This Is It! joins the growing list of historic LGBTQ sites recognized across the United States, preserving an important chapter of community history for future generations.
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