Milwaukee's This Is It! bar approved for Wisconsin historic marker
This Is It! in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE - One of the nation’s longest-operating LGBTQ+ bars will soon receive official recognition from the state of Wisconsin.
What we know:
State preservation officers recently approved a State Historic Marker for This Is It!, the longtime Milwaukee bar that closed in March 2025 after nearly six decades in operation. The marker is expected to be installed this summer outside the building at 418 E. Wells St.
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The project is being led by the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project, working with the property owner Joel Lee, the East Town Association, the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, the Milwaukee Department of Public Works and the Wisconsin Historical Society. The project is funded entirely through private donations.
This Is It! in Milwaukee
The bar opened in August 1968, founded by June Brehm and Michael Latona — nearly a year before the Stonewall uprising that helped spark the modern LGBTQ rights movement.
After Brehm died in 2010, her son Joe Brehm and later owner George Schneider continued operating the bar. Over time, the venue evolved and expanded, with famous drag queen and Wisconsin native Trixie Mattel becoming a co-owner with Schneider in 2021.
What they're saying:
"For decades, ‘This Is It’ was part of Wisconsin’s cultural landscape, serving as an important gathering place for the LGBTQ community," said Angela Titus, assistant deputy director and chief program officer for the Wisconsin Historical Society. "This new historical marker will ensure that the story of this beloved community space, and the role it played in the state's history, will be preserved for future generations."
Milwaukee's This is it!, historic LGBTQ+ bar, closes after 56 years
This Is It!, Wisconsin’s oldest LGBTQ+ bar, announced its permanent closure on social media on Sunday, March 9.
"This historic marker honors a place that my family worked very long and very hard to build, sustain, and protect for Milwaukee," said Sarah Freiheit, granddaughter of June Brehm. "When the outside world believed gay men had no place in the world, my grandmother vowed to create one for them. For decades, This Is It was the go-to destination in times of crisis, in times of celebration, and those times when just being with your community was the best possible comfort."
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Community leaders say the recognition will ensure the bar’s legacy lives on even after its closure.
This Is It! in Milwaukee
"June was discouraged — even by her gay friends — against opening This Is It," said Michail Takach, chair of the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project. "They told her she was crazy; they told her she would get herself in trouble. Her response was, 'So what? Let them come for me.' Nobody ever came for June, but nearly 60 years later, her decision to stand up for what's right still stands as a lesson for us all."
Dig deeper:
The recognition makes This Is It! the second LGBTQ+ site in Wisconsin to receive an official State Historic Marker. The first is near St. Paul and Plankinton, also in Milwaukee, at the former site of the Black Nite Tavern.
The Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project said a dedication ceremony and community celebration will be announced at a later date.
Wisconsin's first LGBTQ historic landmark dedicated in Milwaukee
The Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project dedicated the first LGBTQ historic landmark in Wisconsin history on Monday, Aug. 5, in Milwaukee.
The Source: The Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project provided information in this report.