For over 50 years, This Is It!, Wisconsin’s oldest gay bar, stood as a beacon of queer history, a safe haven for LGBTQ+ locals, and a nightlife staple in Milwaukee. But as of March 9, the party is officially over. The beloved venue, co-owned by drag superstar Trixie Mattel, has shut its doors for good, leaving a gaping hole in the heart of the Midwest’s queer scene.
The reasons behind the closure? A cocktail of financial struggles, post-pandemic fallout, and never-ending construction that crippled business. Co-owner George Schneider, who first started bartending at This Is It! in 2010 before taking ownership in 2012, poured everything he had into keeping the bar afloat. Even Trixie, a Milwaukee native who credited the venue as the first gay bar she ever visited, stepped in as a co-owner in 2021 to help save it from an earlier financial crisis. But as Schneider bluntly put it: “The money ran out.”
In an emotional social media post, Schneider detailed the uphill battle the bar faced—pandemic closures, skyrocketing inflation, and a disastrous eight-month construction project that tanked revenue by more than 50%. He admitted to personally draining his savings to keep This Is It! alive but ultimately concluded, “It would’ve been irresponsible of us to think that throwing more money at the problem would fix it.”
Naturally, the internet went wild with speculation. With Trixie’s massive success—including her cosmetics empire, TV projects, and even the pink fantasyland that is Trixie Motel—many questioned why she didn’t just bankroll the bar’s survival. Schneider, anticipating this backlash, addressed it head-on: “Trixie has money, but that’s not smart business practice. And we would’ve been dragged for asking for help.”
This Is It! wasn’t just a bar—it was a landmark. A home for Milwaukee’s LGBTQ+ community, a stage for drag talent, and a place where generations of queer folks found chosen family. With so many historic gay bars shuttering due to financial hardships, the loss of this institution feels particularly heavy. The closing of a venue like This Is It! is a painful reminder that queer spaces are not guaranteed—they need community support to survive.
For now, Milwaukee’s LGBTQ+ nightlife has lost one of its oldest, most cherished pillars. And for those who spent their nights at This Is It!, the memories—and the legacy—will live on.