The oldest gay bar in Wisconsin, co-owned by RuPaul’s Drag Race star Trixie Mattel, closed suddenly on Sunday, just months before its 57th anniversary.
Milwaukee’s This Is It! gay bar has closed, according to a statement by George Schneider — who co-owned the establishment with Mattel, a winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars, Pink News reported.
Schneider reportedly said the closure was due to monetary issues that resulted from the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, along with the street on which the bar was located having been closed for eight months.
“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,” Schneider announced. “The money ran out.”
“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,” he said.
This Is It! almost closed down in 2021 but was reportedly saved by Mattel, who stepped in to become Schneider’s business partner.
“The bar had been struggling for some time,” Schneider explained. “After I went all-in on the expansion in 2019, the bar was forced to shut down for COVID.”
“This nearly forced us to go under, but we survived,” he continued. “We were then challenged by endless annual construction — the streetcar, park upgrades, utilities, and the other projects beyond our control.”
“We also have had no neighbors for nearly all the time. We never had an opportunity to fully recover,” Schneider added.
Ultimately, the eight-month street closure is what finished off the business.
“Last year’s closure of our street and sidewalk for nearly 8 months was something the bar did not ultimately survive,” Schneider said. “I held on as long as I could. We did our best, and we tried.”
“I have given This Is It! my blood, sweat, tears, and every last dollar I had to try and keep it afloat. I gave the bar my all — literally everything — and I am proud of that. I just wish it was enough to keep us open,” he added.
Schneider went on to say that he is “nervous to start over” and does not know “what’s next for me.”
“After being so dedicated to something, it’s difficult to conceive of what’s next — but I remember that adversity rapidly reminds us of our strengths,” he said.
“Being so completely immersed in the bar and nightlife culture, I have forgotten many of those strengths, my accomplishments, and the experience that allowed me get where I am. I look forward to rediscovering these parts of me,” Schneider added.
Mattel’s business partner further disclosed that in addition to the bar’s closure, thinking of everyone he has worked with “weighs heavy on me.”
“Their worlds have been upended by the closure too, so please support them however you can,” Schneider said. “I am eternally grateful for all of them, and owe them so much.”
Schneider concluded his statement, saying, “I wish all the best to our queer community, our performance community, our staff at the bar over the years, and to our loyal patrons who kept us going — even when things got rough. You were the magic of it all for me. I’ll be seeing you. Thank you.”
Mattel has stated This Is It! is the first gay bar he ever visited after turning 21, according to Pink News.
“The bar opened in 1968 and was been the oldest continually running gay bar in the state,” the outlet noted.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
