Overview
- Last Ditch Bar in Greenfield announced on August 31 that Saturdays would be mask-optional while keeping KN-95-or-better masks required on other nights; the post immediately drew intense online backlash and calls for a boycott.
- The bar issued an apology that critics said was inaccessible because the Instagram post lacked alt-text, which escalated complaints about ableism and exclusion.
- A community meeting on September 11 meant to mediate the dispute became heated, with Zoom participants flooding the chat, disputes over the choice of mediator and no clear resolution reached after three and a half hours.
- Owner Jackie Matellian has described severe financial strain, including living in her truck, carrying a $50,000 loan, working multiple jobs, and facing a landlord demand for $3,900 in back rent by the end of September.
- The episode highlights how social media callouts and local disputes over safety and access can quickly threaten fragile queer spaces, and the potential loss of Last Ditch would shrink an already dwindling network of lesbian bars that serve as community hubs.