Massachusetts lesbian bar faces severe backlash after lifting mask requirement rule, with some patrons comparing it to a ‘eugenicist’ attack

A Massachusetts lesbian bar is facing a storm of backlash after owners decided to drop a mandatory mask rule on Saturdays. The decision was made after feedback from the bar’s “regulars, volunteers, and team” was given, but the announcement, which was made back in August, has been met with anger and frustration from some of the bar’s patrons.

While masks were mandatory for everybody during the COVID-19 era, the pandemic was officially declared over by the US government all the way back in 2023. Despite this, Last Ditch Bar and Arts Venue in Greenfield, Massachusetts, kept the mandatory mask policy that had been enforced during the height of the pandemic in an effort to make an inclusive space for the immunocompromised.

The bar owners decided to change the rules regarding mandatory masks in an effort to boost business. The shift in direction was announced in a statement on Instagram on August 31, informing patrons that Last Ditch Bar and Arts Venue would be “opening Saturday nights as mask optional to try out typical club nights.”

The statement went on to assure patrons that the space would “work for everyone,” and that the venue would “still give priority to public and private Masked bookings.” However, the change has brought about some controversy from unhappy regulars.

Bar patrons respond negatively

The message from the bar was met with outcry from a vocal group who called out the owners for “pandering to have a mask-free night.” Those against the change argued that there were plenty of mask-free spaces and that the bar was turning its back on those who are immunocompromised or don’t feel comfortable in mask-free spaces.

Some accused the bar of being ableist with the decision, likening it to a “mass disabling event,” while some even claimed it was a “eugenicist” attack, according to The Boston Globe (via Fox News).

One commenter reportedly took it a step further with their response online, writing, “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 wrote, “People like you kill disabled people in the name of your own leisure and convenience.”

However, the bar has reportedly been struggling financially with a lenient business model that includes policies such as “Nobody will be barred from entry due to lack of funds,” possibly contributing to the financial hardship.  According to Fox, the bar owner had also fallen behind on bills and, at one point, lived in her truck and worked four jobs while dealing with a $50,000 debt.

A Zoom meeting was held on September 11 in an attempt to mediate, but patrons reportedly had little sympathy for the struggling owner. The change in mask policy also doesn’t seem to have increased business either as the bar has been almost empty on the weekends.

(Featured image: glennharper, CC BY 2.0., coyot on Pixabay)

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