A lesbian bar in Massachusetts, called Last Ditch, is closing after stirring controversy by lifting its mask mandate for just one night a week.
Located in Greenfield, the bar announced via Instagram on Monday that it would be shutting down “effective immediately” except for previously scheduled events, planning to completely close by winter.
Last Ditch became widely talked about after a recent article in the Boston Globe highlighted its decision to make face masks optional on Saturdays to attract more customers while still requiring them on other days.
The bar expressed an urgent need for “new owners ASAP” in its post, saying, “We are SOFT CLOSING effective immediately, all BOOKED events will CONTINUE, otherwise we are CLOSED. Love and solidarity to all.”
In an Instagram post back in August, the bar had mentioned it would let its patrons choose whether to wear masks on Saturday nights, framing the decision as a friendly update for “immunocompromised disabled divas.”
Founded by three housemates in 2025, Last Ditch still maintained strict mask rules on other days of the week. However, the Saturday change faced immediate backlash from the local queer community. Critics claimed it placed the health of immunocompromised individuals at risk, with some even calling the decision a “mass disabling event” and likening it to a “eugenicist” attack.
Comments on social media were harsh. One user suggested, “I hope your venue gets firebombed for robbing my fellow immunocompromised people of their Saturday plans just to scrape extra revenue from ablists [sic].” Another stated, “People like you kill disabled people in the name of your own leisure and convenience.”
This outcry led to a boycott, resulting in dwindling customer turnout on what should have been busy nights for the bar.
Sales had already been on the decline partially due to unconventional policies like “Nobody will be barred from entry due to lack of funds” and “Poor and unhoused people are welcome in the space.”
Efforts to resolve the controversy during a community meeting on September 11 fell flat, with remaining owner Jackie Matellian visibly distressed, sharing her personal struggles including a burdensome business loan and even living in her car to keep the bar afloat.
In a farewell message this Monday, Last Ditch communicated, “We have put our lives on hold to foster networks of care, resources, and a home base for organizing. It’s time we pass it on.”
