"Tip Your Queens!" was a community-led fundraiser held April 11, 2025, at the Jazz Gallery Center of the Arts in Milwaukee to support the drag performers and entertainers affected by the closure of This Is It!, Wisconsin’s longest-running gay bar. Organized by artists affiliated with Frederick Avenue Gallery (F.A.G.), the event brought together live drag hosted by SUPERNOVA, DJ sets by Police Create Hippies, a silent auction of queer artwork, raffles, and communal gathering centered on care and connection.
 

The event raised $2,000 for participating queens and performers through door donations, raffles, and artwork sales—not including additional cash and Venmo tips given directly to entertainers. Proceeds were distributed through a tiered model to ensure broad support. Beyond fundraising, "Tip Your Queens!" affirmed the importance of sustaining queer cultural spaces and honoring drag and performance as vital artistic practices that build intergenerational community.

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Project Team: 
Seth Ter Haar, Adeline Jean, Nik Klessig, Raymond Fogl, Dakota Meyer, Dora Peregrine, Jorge Ariel Escobar, Meg White, Fiona Bingley, Abbey Freimark, Cole Lehto, and Megan Ter Haar. 

 

Photography by: Jorge Ariel Escobar

Press:​​​​

Milwaukee Journal