TIP YOUR QUEENS: A BENEFIT FOR THE THIS IS IT! ENTERTAINERS

For 56 years, This Is It! was more than just a bar—it was a home for Milwaukee’s LGBTQ+ community, a space where drag performers, DJs, and queer artists built careers, found chosen family, and connected across generations. Now, as we face the loss of this historic space, we come together to celebrate, support, and uplift the artists who made it what it was.

This benefit will honor the drag queens, kings, DJs, and entertainers who gave life to This Is It!, while ensuring they receive financial support during this transition. Hosted at Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, this event also recognizes the need for new, sustainable queer spaces beyond bars and nightlife.

With the closure of This Is It!, many performers lost not only a beloved stage but also a vital source of income—one that sustained both their livelihoods and their artistry. Drag and performance art have long been central to queer expression, and this event ensures that these artists can continue to create, thrive, and enrich our community. All funds raised from this benefit will directly support and sustain Milwaukee’s queer performers, reinforcing the importance of their craft and its place in our cultural fabric.

Why This Matters

Queer bars have always been more than nightlife—they are sacred spaces for expression, joy, intergenerational connection, and safety. Unlike our heterosexual counterparts, whose social infrastructure exists in workplaces, religious institutions, and public spaces, queer people have historically relied on bars as one of the only places to exist freely and find each other.

With This Is It! closing, we must recognize that our community cannot rely solely on bars for survival. Now more than ever, we need to take on the responsibility of building sustainable, intentional queer spaces outside of nightlife. That is why we are hosting this event at Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts—a nonprofit dedicated to creative expression, now serving as a “third space” for Milwaukee’s queer community. We must invest in community spaces that ensure queer joy, artistry, and connection can thrive beyond the institutions that have historically hosted us.

How to Support

️ GoFundMe – All proceeds will go into a communal fund, distributed among participating entertainers using a tiered payout method. This ensures everyone receives a base payout, with additional funds allocated to show hosts and regular performers who lost recurring gigs at This Is It!.

Sliding-scale donation at the door ($10-$20 suggested, no one turned away)

Tip your queens generously (Individual Cash & Venmo tipping available)

️ Purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes from local businesses

Spread the word & bring friends – Community support makes all the difference!

Event Features

Live Drag Performances – Featuring past and present This Is It! entertainers

Music & Celebration – Honoring the legacy of Milwaukee’s queer nightlife

Community Gathering – A space for connection, storytelling, and solidarity

Join Us

Queer survival has never been institutional—it has always been communal. This is not just about remembering what we’ve lost—it’s about ensuring that drag, queer artistry, and community spaces continue to thrive in Milwaukee. By coming together at Jazz Gallery, we are proving that queer spaces can and must exist beyond bars—we are building the future ourselves.

TIP YOUR QUEENS: A BENEFIT FOR THE THIS IS IT! ENTERTAINERS

Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts | 926 E. Center St, Milwaukee, WI

April 11, 2025 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM