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A sad and shocking post from This Is It! appeared on Facebook this afternoon, announcing that the legendary LGBTQIA+ bar, located at 418 E. Wells St., was permanently closed for business.
June Brehm opened the bar in 1968, and it was later run by her son, Joe. Notably, both of the Brehms were heterosexual. By 2016, mother and son passed away and Geroge Schneider, the longtime manager, became the co-owner until the present day. Television personality and drag queen Trixie Mattel is the other owner.
Just before Joe’s death, Mayor Tom Barrett proclaimed Thursday, March 31, 2016 "Joe Brehm Day" to recognize both Joe and June’s LGBT community involvement by providing a destination "that welcomes members of the LGBT community into a place of acceptance and safety."
"This always has been a melting place for the community regardless of age, race, gender or sexual preference. June set that tone from the beginning and Joe preserved that tone," Schneider told OnMilwaukee in 2019.
This Is It! is an important part of Milwaukee history and will be missed by many. Here is the Facebook post from Schneider:
This summer would have been the 57th anniversary of This is It!. Unfortunately, that celebration will not come to pass. As of today, we have closed our doors permanently. The COVID crisis and the years following 2020, coupled with the 8 month closure of our street and sidewalk last year, put the business in a position that we could not ultimately overcome.
We would like to thank all the staff, performers, and friends who made the magic of This is It! happen over the years. We also thank everyone in the community for the many years of loyal patronage. This is It! has been so much more than a nightlife spot for the queer community. 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.
One last time, we honor our founders June and Joseph Brehm. While they are no longer with us, they would have been fighting the last few years along side us. Their memory and legacy lives on in our hearts too.
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.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
