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This Is It! (bar)

January 31, 2023

This Is It!, also known locally as Tits, is a gay bar and lounge located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the oldest, continually-operating gay bar in the state of Wisconsin.[2][3][4]

This Is It!
Current logo for This Is It, Inc.
TypeGay bar
Founded1968
FounderCatherine Brehm[1]
Headquarters
Milwaukee, WI
OwnersGeorge Schneider, Trixie Mattel
Websitethisisitbar.com

The bar is located in a building constructed in 1915 on the corner of Jefferson and Wells streets. The space the bar occupies has been used as a bar and tavern since 1936, previously known as "The Establishment", and before that "Vern's Tap".[4]

History

 
May 1973 advertisement, GPU News

This Is It! is a gay bar established in 1968 by Catherine "June" Brehm[5] and business partner Michael Latona. June took control of the bar, known previously as "The Establishment", in 1968. Extensive remodels were done in 1969, and the bar has kept the same style since.[4] While records do not indicate the exact date June and her business partner Michael split, it is clear that she assumed full control on June 18, 1970.[6] Joseph Brehm[7] became a part-owner of This Is It! after his mother, June, suffered a stroke in 1981,[8] and he operated the bar concurrently with June until her death in 2010.[5][9] After managing the bar at This Is It!, George Schneider became a part-owner in 2012.[8][10]

The location in Milwaukee, WI has remained the same since the bar's inception. The bar has never "shut down" or "closed its doors" for any period of time outside of normal maintenance and repairs. It is the oldest, continually operating gay bar in the State of Wisconsin.[11]

Joseph Brehm died on April 3, 2016, from complications associated with ALS[7] leaving full control of the establishment to his business partner, George Schneider. Schneider continues to operate the bar in the tradition of Joe and June, saying "Joe and June had this bar for the first 50 years, or almost 50. I'm the custodian of a huge amount of history and their legacy. I will make sure it keeps on going for another 50."[12]

The adjacent restaurant to the bar, Louise's, closed its doors in August 2018. Schneider was able to acquire and additional 1200 sq. ft. of space previously used as a private dining room for Louise's, and began construction on an expansion project in September 2018.[13] The project not only doubled the venue's overall size and capacity, it also added a new "show bar", dance floor, and performance space with a removable, modular stage. The addition opened to the public for the first time the evening of January 11, 2019, with a grand opening hosted on January 17, 2019.[14]

After remodeling and adding the new performance space, the bar was able to obtain a Center for Visual and Performing Arts license from the City of Milwaukee, allowing the bar to host 18+ patrons on select nights. The license allowed the bar to host a safe place for 18+ patrons and is the only LGBT+ bar in Milwaukee to host 18+ nights and events. In order to obtain this license, the bar worked in conjunction with The Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project to install historical panels highlighting the history of the gay bar scene in Milwaukee.[15] This installation not only satisfied the qualifications to obtain the license, but also created an opportunity for patrons of all ages to learn the history of the LGBT+ bar scene in their city.

In February 2021, it was announced that drag queen Trixie Mattel (Brian Firkus) had joined Schneider as co-owner of This is It!. A Wisconsin native, Trixie had previously hosted shows at This Is It![16]

Recognition

 
Letter from Senator Tammy Baldwin

This Is it! has been voted 'BEST Gay and Lesbian Bar' since 2012 via the A-List on WISN.com (A-list not compiled in 2015).[17]

The Bar was featured in the book "Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin's Historic Bars & Breweries" by Jim Draeger & Mark Speltz, published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.[2] The bar was also included in the 2019 publication "111 Places to Visit in Milwaukee That You Must Not Miss" by Michelle Madden. The Madden publication is the first to highlight the bar's expansion of 2018-2019.[18]

In March 2016, Joseph and June Brehm, as well as the bar itself, were recognized for their contributions to the LGBT community by Senator Tammy Baldwin.[19] A copy of this letter is embedded in this article.

Just prior to Joseph Brehm's death, Milwaukee's mayor, Tom Barrett, proclaimed Thursday, March 31, 2016 "Joe Brehm Day", recognizing not only June Brehm's and Joseph Brehm's LGBT community involvement, but also the bar's significance as "a place that welcomes members of the LGBT community into a place of acceptance and safety" since 1968.[7][11]

 
50th Anniversary Accolade

On May 9, 2018, the Milwaukee County Historical Society recognized This is It! at its Annual Awards Dinner. An Anniversary Accolade for 50 years of business was presented to the bar, citing the bar's "welcoming environment as the oldest continually operating gay bar in Milwaukee and Wisconsin".

Logo Redesign Contest

In preparation for its 50th anniversary in 2018, This is It! hosted a logo redesign contest. Voting was conducted via the bar's website to narrow down to the top 4 submissions, and the 4 finalists were voted on in-person in the bar on 4/11/17. The winning design was created by James "Thommy" Harless.[20]

Community involvement

 
Front view of bar, 2012

This Is It! sponsors and supports LGBT+ and LGBT+ friendly organizations, and attempts to foster community involvement with its patrons. The bar started hosting a monthly "Pink Hat Party" fundraising event in January 2012. Beneficiaries of the monthly "Pink Hat Party" have included the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, Aids Resource Center of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Cream City Foundation, and the G/L Community Fund.[21][22] Early in 2018, the bar discontinued the Pink Hat Parties. According to ownership, the bar will be continuing the tradition of fundraising under different formats.

This Is it! has repeatedly sponsored the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center's Loft Lounge at PrideFest Milwaukee.[23] Owner George Schneider also volunteered as PrideFest Milwaukee's Operations Director for many years as well as briefly serving as a board member during his last year with the organization. He resigned from PrideFest, Inc., now Milwaukee Pride, Inc., after the 2012 festival season,[24] but he and bar continue to support the organization and annual festival.

 
A view of the crosswalks looking east towards the lake.

At their annual meeting on April 6, 2018, Milwaukee LGBT Community Center members elected owner Schneider to their Board of Directors.[25]

On a visit to Vancouver, British Columbia in October 2018, Schneider was impressed by that city's rainbow crosswalk installations. He shared an image on the bar's social media, and proposed the idea that Milwaukee should have similar crosswalk installations. The post was well received and Schneider began working with the City of Milwaukee to make the crosswalks a reality.[26][27] It took nearly 2 years of work and cooperating with the City of Milwaukee to lay the foundations to install the crosswalks - the initial proposal being rejected.[28] Finally, after seeking the aide of Milwaukee Pride, Inc., the East Town Association, and other community partners, the City of Milwaukee approved the installation officially on October 29, 2018. The crosswalks were painted on the morning of November 3, 2018, and a dedication ceremony hosted by Mayor Tom Barrett and Alderman Robert Bauman officially opened the crosswalks to the public.[29]

References

  1. ^ "Catherine 'June' Brehm". History of Gay and Lesbian Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Dreager, Jim (2012). Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin's Historic Bars & Breweries. Wisconsin Historical Society Press. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-87020-498-2.
  3. ^ Stingl, Jim (May 4, 2008). "Changes bring the demise of C'est La Vie". jsonline.com. Journal Sentinel, Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Horne, Michael (November 14, 2014). "This Is It, Our Oldest Gay Bar". Urban Milwaukee. Milwaukee,WI. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Schwamb, Don. "Catherine 'June' Brehm". mkelgbthist.org. Milwaukee LGBT History Project, Inc. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  6. ^ "THIS IS IT INC". wdfi.org. Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Schwamb, Don. "Joe Brehm". mkelgbthist.org. Milwaukee LGBT History Project, Inc. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Flanigan, Kathy (June 9, 2012). "Tolerant times bring change to gay bars". jsonline.com. Journal Sentinel, Inc. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  9. ^ "Catherine Brehm Obituary". churchandchapel.com. Church and Chapel Funeral Services. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  10. ^ Johnston, Michael (June 2012). "Cordially Yours" (PDF). Outbound Vol. 11. No. 6. Quest/Outbound. p. 20. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Mayors Proclamation". mkelgbthist.org. Milwaukee LGBT History Project, Inc. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  12. ^ Stingl, Jim (April 12, 2016). "Beloved owner gone, but oldest gay bar still a welcoming haven". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Milwaukee, WI. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  13. ^ Horne, Michael (August 20, 2018). "This is It! Bar Will Expand". urbanmilwaukee.com. Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  14. ^ Snyder, Molly (January 17, 2019). "This Is It gay bar expands, offering more space, dance floor". onmilwaukee.com. OnMilwaukee. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  15. ^ Noennig, Jordan (April 30, 2019). "This Is It! will host 18+ night thanks to the installation of a historical LGBTQ display". jsonline.com. Journal Sentinel, Inc. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  16. ^ Levy, Piet. "Drag superstar Trixie Mattel is now the co-owner of This Is It!, the oldest LGBTQ+ bar in Wisconsin". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "This Is It - BEST Gay and Lesbian Bar". wisn.cityvoter.com. CityVoter, Inc. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  18. ^ Madden, Michelle (2019). 111 Places in Milwaukee That You Must Not Miss. Lensing Druck GmbH & Co. KG. p. 206. ISBN 978-3-7408-0491-6.
  19. ^ "Senator Tammy Baldwin Sends Letter of Thanks..." (PDF). Quest Vol. 23. No. #4. Quest. April 2016. p. 17. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  20. ^ "This Is It! wants you to re-design its logo". milwaukeerecord.com. Milwaukee Record. March 3, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  21. ^ "Sponsors & Supporters". glcommunityfund.org. G/L Community Fund. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  22. ^ Palicki, Martin. "Pink Hat Party at This Is It!". mkelgbt.org. Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  23. ^ Palicki, Martin. "The Loft Lounge @ Pride". mkelgbt.org. Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  24. ^ "2012 Official PrideFest Pride Guide" (PDF). Quest Vol. 19. No. Special Edition. Quest/PrideFest. June 2012. p. 4. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  25. ^ "BOARD OF DIRECTORS (MEETINGS & SLATE PUBLIC INFORMATION)". mkelgbt.org. Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  26. ^ CBS58 Staff (November 16, 2016). "Milwaukee Bar Owner Proposes Rainbow Crosswalks in City". cbs58.com. CBS 58 - WDJT Milwaukee. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  27. ^ Takach, Michail (November 14, 2016). "Could Milwaukee be the next city with rainbow crosswalks?". onmilwaukee.com. OnMilwaukee. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  28. ^ Snyder, Molly (August 28, 2018). "Rainbow crosswalks proposed for Cathedral Square". onmilwaukee.com. OnMilwaukee. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  29. ^ Matz, Lee (November 7, 2018). "RAINBOW CROSSWALKS INSTALLED DOWNTOWN TO HONOR MILWAUKEE'S LGBT COMMUNITY". milwaukeeindependent.com. Milwaukee Independent. Retrieved October 18, 2019.

External links

  • Official website
  • Milwaukee LGBT History Project

Coordinates: 43°02′29″N 87°54′22″W / 43.041494°N 87.906021°W / 43.041494; -87.906021

January 31, 2023
this, this, also, known, locally, tits, lounge, located, milwaukee, wisconsin, oldest, continually, operating, state, wisconsin, this, current, logo, this, typegay, barfounded1968foundercatherine, brehm, headquartersmilwaukee, wiownersgeorge, schneider, trixie. This Is It also known locally as Tits is a gay bar and lounge located in Milwaukee Wisconsin It is the oldest continually operating gay bar in the state of Wisconsin 2 3 4 This Is It Current logo for This Is It Inc TypeGay barFounded1968FounderCatherine Brehm 1 HeadquartersMilwaukee WIOwnersGeorge Schneider Trixie MattelWebsitethisisitbar comThe bar is located in a building constructed in 1915 on the corner of Jefferson and Wells streets The space the bar occupies has been used as a bar and tavern since 1936 previously known as The Establishment and before that Vern s Tap 4 Contents 1 History 2 Recognition 3 Logo Redesign Contest 4 Community involvement 5 References 6 External linksHistory Edit May 1973 advertisement GPU News This Is It is a gay bar established in 1968 by Catherine June Brehm 5 and business partner Michael Latona June took control of the bar known previously as The Establishment in 1968 Extensive remodels were done in 1969 and the bar has kept the same style since 4 While records do not indicate the exact date June and her business partner Michael split it is clear that she assumed full control on June 18 1970 6 Joseph Brehm 7 became a part owner of This Is It after his mother June suffered a stroke in 1981 8 and he operated the bar concurrently with June until her death in 2010 5 9 After managing the bar at This Is It George Schneider became a part owner in 2012 8 10 The location in Milwaukee WI has remained the same since the bar s inception The bar has never shut down or closed its doors for any period of time outside of normal maintenance and repairs It is the oldest continually operating gay bar in the State of Wisconsin 11 Joseph Brehm died on April 3 2016 from complications associated with ALS 7 leaving full control of the establishment to his business partner George Schneider Schneider continues to operate the bar in the tradition of Joe and June saying Joe and June had this bar for the first 50 years or almost 50 I m the custodian of a huge amount of history and their legacy I will make sure it keeps on going for another 50 12 The adjacent restaurant to the bar Louise s closed its doors in August 2018 Schneider was able to acquire and additional 1200 sq ft of space previously used as a private dining room for Louise s and began construction on an expansion project in September 2018 13 The project not only doubled the venue s overall size and capacity it also added a new show bar dance floor and performance space with a removable modular stage The addition opened to the public for the first time the evening of January 11 2019 with a grand opening hosted on January 17 2019 14 After remodeling and adding the new performance space the bar was able to obtain a Center for Visual and Performing Arts license from the City of Milwaukee allowing the bar to host 18 patrons on select nights The license allowed the bar to host a safe place for 18 patrons and is the only LGBT bar in Milwaukee to host 18 nights and events In order to obtain this license the bar worked in conjunction with The Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project to install historical panels highlighting the history of the gay bar scene in Milwaukee 15 This installation not only satisfied the qualifications to obtain the license but also created an opportunity for patrons of all ages to learn the history of the LGBT bar scene in their city In February 2021 it was announced that drag queen Trixie Mattel Brian Firkus had joined Schneider as co owner of This is It A Wisconsin native Trixie had previously hosted shows at This Is It 16 Recognition Edit Letter from Senator Tammy Baldwin This Is it has been voted BEST Gay and Lesbian Bar since 2012 via the A List on WISN com A list not compiled in 2015 17 The Bar was featured in the book Bottoms Up A Toast to Wisconsin s Historic Bars amp Breweries by Jim Draeger amp Mark Speltz published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press 2 The bar was also included in the 2019 publication 111 Places to Visit in Milwaukee That You Must Not Miss by Michelle Madden The Madden publication is the first to highlight the bar s expansion of 2018 2019 18 In March 2016 Joseph and June Brehm as well as the bar itself were recognized for their contributions to the LGBT community by Senator Tammy Baldwin 19 A copy of this letter is embedded in this article Just prior to Joseph Brehm s death Milwaukee s mayor Tom Barrett proclaimed Thursday March 31 2016 Joe Brehm Day recognizing not only June Brehm s and Joseph Brehm s LGBT community involvement but also the bar s significance as a place that welcomes members of the LGBT community into a place of acceptance and safety since 1968 7 11 50th Anniversary Accolade On May 9 2018 the Milwaukee County Historical Society recognized This is It at its Annual Awards Dinner An Anniversary Accolade for 50 years of business was presented to the bar citing the bar s welcoming environment as the oldest continually operating gay bar in Milwaukee and Wisconsin Logo Redesign Contest EditIn preparation for its 50th anniversary in 2018 This is It hosted a logo redesign contest Voting was conducted via the bar s website to narrow down to the top 4 submissions and the 4 finalists were voted on in person in the bar on 4 11 17 The winning design was created by James Thommy Harless 20 Community involvement Edit Front view of bar 2012 This Is It sponsors and supports LGBT and LGBT friendly organizations and attempts to foster community involvement with its patrons The bar started hosting a monthly Pink Hat Party fundraising event in January 2012 Beneficiaries of the monthly Pink Hat Party have included the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center Aids Resource Center of Wisconsin Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Cream City Foundation and the G L Community Fund 21 22 Early in 2018 the bar discontinued the Pink Hat Parties According to ownership the bar will be continuing the tradition of fundraising under different formats This Is it has repeatedly sponsored the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center s Loft Lounge at PrideFest Milwaukee 23 Owner George Schneider also volunteered as PrideFest Milwaukee s Operations Director for many years as well as briefly serving as a board member during his last year with the organization He resigned from PrideFest Inc now Milwaukee Pride Inc after the 2012 festival season 24 but he and bar continue to support the organization and annual festival A view of the crosswalks looking east towards the lake At their annual meeting on April 6 2018 Milwaukee LGBT Community Center members elected owner Schneider to their Board of Directors 25 On a visit to Vancouver British Columbia in October 2018 Schneider was impressed by that city s rainbow crosswalk installations He shared an image on the bar s social media and proposed the idea that Milwaukee should have similar crosswalk installations The post was well received and Schneider began working with the City of Milwaukee to make the crosswalks a reality 26 27 It took nearly 2 years of work and cooperating with the City of Milwaukee to lay the foundations to install the crosswalks the initial proposal being rejected 28 Finally after seeking the aide of Milwaukee Pride Inc the East Town Association and other community partners the City of Milwaukee approved the installation officially on October 29 2018 The crosswalks were painted on the morning of November 3 2018 and a dedication ceremony hosted by Mayor Tom Barrett and Alderman Robert Bauman officially opened the crosswalks to the public 29 References Edit Catherine June Brehm History of Gay and Lesbian Life in Milwaukee Wisconsin Retrieved March 27 2016 a b Dreager Jim 2012 Bottoms Up A Toast to Wisconsin s Historic Bars amp Breweries Wisconsin Historical Society Press p 183 ISBN 978 0 87020 498 2 Stingl Jim May 4 2008 Changes bring the demise of C est La Vie jsonline com Journal Sentinel Inc Retrieved April 7 2016 a b c Horne Michael November 14 2014 This Is It Our Oldest Gay Bar Urban Milwaukee Milwaukee WI Retrieved April 7 2016 a b Schwamb Don Catherine June Brehm mkelgbthist org Milwaukee LGBT History Project Inc Retrieved August 26 2014 THIS IS IT INC wdfi org Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions Retrieved April 24 2016 a b c Schwamb Don Joe Brehm mkelgbthist org Milwaukee LGBT History Project Inc Retrieved August 26 2014 a b Flanigan Kathy June 9 2012 Tolerant times bring change to gay bars jsonline com Journal Sentinel Inc Retrieved August 26 2014 Catherine Brehm Obituary churchandchapel com Church and Chapel Funeral Services Retrieved August 26 2014 Johnston Michael June 2012 Cordially Yours PDF Outbound Vol 11 No 6 Quest Outbound p 20 Retrieved August 27 2014 a b Mayors Proclamation mkelgbthist org Milwaukee LGBT History Project Inc Retrieved April 5 2016 Stingl Jim April 12 2016 Beloved owner gone but oldest gay bar still a welcoming haven The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Milwaukee WI Retrieved April 24 2014 Horne Michael August 20 2018 This is It Bar Will Expand urbanmilwaukee com Urban Milwaukee Retrieved October 18 2019 Snyder Molly January 17 2019 This Is It gay bar expands offering more space dance floor onmilwaukee com OnMilwaukee Retrieved October 18 2019 Noennig Jordan April 30 2019 This Is It will host 18 night thanks to the installation of a historical LGBTQ display jsonline com Journal Sentinel Inc Retrieved October 18 2019 Levy Piet Drag superstar Trixie Mattel is now the co owner of This Is It the oldest LGBTQ bar in Wisconsin Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Retrieved May 28 2021 This Is It BEST Gay and Lesbian Bar wisn cityvoter com CityVoter Inc Retrieved August 26 2014 Madden Michelle 2019 111 Places in Milwaukee That You Must Not Miss Lensing Druck GmbH amp Co KG p 206 ISBN 978 3 7408 0491 6 Senator Tammy Baldwin Sends Letter of Thanks PDF Quest Vol 23 No 4 Quest April 2016 p 17 Retrieved April 7 2016 This Is It wants you to re design its logo milwaukeerecord com Milwaukee Record March 3 2017 Retrieved September 25 2017 Sponsors amp Supporters glcommunityfund org G L Community Fund Retrieved August 27 2014 Palicki Martin Pink Hat Party at This Is It mkelgbt org Milwaukee LGBT Community Center Retrieved August 26 2014 Palicki Martin The Loft Lounge Pride mkelgbt org Milwaukee LGBT Community Center Retrieved August 27 2014 2012 Official PrideFest Pride Guide PDF Quest Vol 19 No Special Edition Quest PrideFest June 2012 p 4 Retrieved August 27 2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS amp SLATE PUBLIC INFORMATION mkelgbt org Milwaukee LGBT Community Center Retrieved May 10 2018 CBS58 Staff November 16 2016 Milwaukee Bar Owner Proposes Rainbow Crosswalks in City cbs58 com CBS 58 WDJT Milwaukee Retrieved October 18 2019 Takach Michail November 14 2016 Could Milwaukee be the next city with rainbow crosswalks onmilwaukee com OnMilwaukee Retrieved October 18 2019 Snyder Molly August 28 2018 Rainbow crosswalks proposed for Cathedral Square onmilwaukee com OnMilwaukee Retrieved October 18 2019 Matz Lee November 7 2018 RAINBOW CROSSWALKS INSTALLED DOWNTOWN TO HONOR MILWAUKEE S LGBT COMMUNITY milwaukeeindependent com Milwaukee Independent Retrieved October 18 2019 External links Edit LGBT portalOfficial website Milwaukee LGBT History Project Coordinates 43 02 29 N 87 54 22 W 43 041494 N 87 906021 W 43 041494 87 906021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title This Is It bar amp oldid 1124135681, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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