Lesbian bar in Massachusetts that sparked wild outrage in woke Covid mask war announces it’s closing for good
The Last Ditch Bar, a queer community venue in Greenfield, Massachusetts, has ended its regular opening hours and says it will close for good this winter unless new owners take over. The closure follows months of financial strain and comes after the bar drew intense criticism for making masks optional on Saturday nights, a change that affected a policy valued by some immunocompromised patrons.
The owners are seeking co-owners, a buyer or people willing to help manage a transition to a worker-owned co-operative; the bar has no board or leadership team to oversee that process. Its Instagram post values the equipment, furniture, repairs, stock and other assets at about $70,000, but gives no exact final closing date. Founded last year after two other regional queer bars shut, the venue had faced difficulty covering costs.
In short
- The Last Ditch Bar has stopped regular hours.
- It needs new owners to avoid a winter closure.
- The bar values its assets at about $70,000.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A bar is a small business facing real costs, and its owners may reasonably argue that making masks optional on some nights could help attract customers and keep the venue open. Seeking a buyer or worker-owned co-operative also offers a possible way to preserve a queer community space despite the financial strain.
The case against
For immunocompromised patrons, masks can be important protection, so making them optional may have made the bar feel less safe or accessible and weakened a valued community resource. Critics could argue that the venue had a responsibility to consider those patrons’ needs, even while managing its finances.
Explained simply
The Last Ditch Bar is a queer community venue in Greenfield, a small city in western Massachusetts. It opened last year after two other queer bars in the region had shut, but has struggled to cover its costs.
Masks can reduce the spread of respiratory infections, and some people with weakened immune systems rely on them to lower health risks. The bar’s decision to make masks optional on Saturday nights prompted criticism from people who valued its earlier mask policy.
The owners have said the bar may close for good this winter unless someone takes it over. They are seeking a buyer, co-owners or help moving towards a worker-owned co-operative, but the venue has no board or leadership team to manage that transition.