Massachusetts Lesbian Bar Lifts Mask Mandate 5 Years After COVID, Loses Lick-Her License

GREENFIELD, Mass. — A lesbian bar in western Massachusetts is struggling to stay open after facing intense backlash and a boycott for making face masks optional one night a week.

Last Ditch Bar and Arts Venue, which opened in 2025, had maintained a strict mask mandate for all patrons as part of its commitment to accessibility and evidently protecting its most retarded customers.

On August 31, the bar announced it would lift the requirement on Saturday nights only, hoping the change would increase revenue and help keep the business afloat.

The decision triggered sharp criticism from members of the local queer community.

Commenters on the bar’s social media described the move as a “mass disabling event” and a “eugenicist” attack.

One person wrote, “I hope your venue gets firebombed for robbing my fellow immunocompromised people of their Saturday plans just to scrape extra revenue from ablists.”

Others accused the bar of being “complicit in a mass disabling event” and of prioritizing leisure over the safety of disabled people.

Greenfield had not reported a COVID case in months at the time of the announcement.

Last Ditch continues to require masks on all other nights of the week.

The bar’s business model already included policies welcoming poor and unhoused people and stating that no one would be turned away for lack of funds.

Owners had also framed the original mask rule as a stand against ableism.

Despite these measures, sales had been declining, and the three owners were falling behind on bills, unable to pay themselves or staff.

Two of the original owners later left the business.

The remaining owner, Jackie Matellian, told a community meeting on September 11 that she had been living in her car for six months and working multiple jobs to cover payments on a $50,000 business loan.

She said she had never intended to run the bar long-term and broke down in tears while explaining the financial pressure.

Critics at the meeting, many attending via Zoom, were unmoved.

Some accused Matellian of centering her own feelings and of racist deflection.

Others objected to the presence of a white therapist acting as mediator, claiming it was unsafe and inaccessible.

An earlier apology from the bar was also criticized for lacking alt text for visually impaired readers.

Attendance has not recovered.

Saturday nights, once relatively busy, are now often nearly empty despite drink specials and entertainment.

The landlord is demanding $3,900 in overdue rent by the end of September.

A suggestion to host a Lady Gaga-themed night was dismissed by staff because “Gaga is Zionist.”

Last Ditch remains open for now, still requiring masks six nights a week while continuing its mask-optional Saturdays.

Whether the bar can survive the boycott and mounting debts is unclear.