Mass Lesbian Bar That Created Mayhem by Loosening Its Mask Mandate Is Closing

The story came out of nowhere. The bar was not in a major metropolitan area, but it became the center of a lesbian civil war that showcased the woke left’s more extreme tendencies. Last Ditch in Greenfield, Massachusetts, struggled after the summer, probably because it could never enforce revenue-boosting measures like cover fees. They opted to loosen their mask mandate, which set off a firestorm of gay rage that crashed into the establishment. People hoped the bar would be firebombed for putting vulnerable people at risk, and allegations of ableism and racism poured in. It was a circus. The worst was that the statement posted about the policy change was also slammed for not being accessible to those who are visually impaired. 

The state’s gay chamber of commerce approved the policy, but attempts at mediation between the bar owner, Jackie Matellian, and the locals failed. It was a stereotypical tale of leftist gay drama, with the locals portrayed as an intolerant band of drama queens not so dissimilar from al-Qaeda. Matellian is the last of three owners: one bolted when things started going to hell, another opted to enter clown college. Now, it’s closing its doors. The bar was already on life support when the mask story broke (via NYT):

Last Ditch, also known as the “COVID-conscious Western Massachusetts lesbian bar,” is closing effective immediately. https://t.co/R8a4ciUnzO

— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 26, 2026

BREAKING: COVID-conscious Western Massachusetts lesbian bar, Last Ditch, announces it is shutting down effective immediately.

— Polymarket (@Polymarket) October 26, 2026

A Western Massachusetts bar at the center of a Covid masking controversy last month is moving toward closing down, according to a message it posted Monday on social media.

The bar, the Last Ditch, said on its website that it was founded for lesbians, as well as “transexuals, gender freaks, workers and their friends,” an oasis for safe and happy drinking in the tiny city of Greenfield. It became internationally known for the backlash to its owners’ decision to relax a mandatory face mask policy. The hope was that making masks optional on Saturdays would increase business. But opponents of the change argued the bar was abandoning its goals to be welcoming to everyone.

People posting online accused the owners of being ableist and risking the lives of immunocompromised customers. A backlash to the backlash quickly emerged, with people mocking customers and their Covid concerns.

A Boston Globe story in September on the masking dispute went viral, and the travails of the Last Ditch were published by media around the country and overseas.

[…]

A message on the Last Ditch Instagram page said that the bar needed “new owners ASAP.”

“We are SOFT CLOSING effective immediately, all BOOKED events will CONTINUE, otherwise we are CLOSED,” the message read. “Love and solidarity to all.”

“We have put our lives on hold to foster networks of care, resources, and a home base for organizing,” the posting said. “It’s time we pass it on.”

When this story broke in September, the city hadn’t recorded a COVID case in two months. 

Just insane people. 

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