A Massachusetts lesbian bar that achieved internet fame for loosening its Covid mask policy last month has announced it will "soft close" on Monday as it desperately seeks new ownership. The Last Ditch, located in the small city of Greenfield, shared the news via Instagram, stating it is looking for co-owners, new owners, or a full sale, and that the soft close is "effective immediately." Only booked events will continue as the bar shuts down for the winter. It had opened just last year, billing itself as a bar for "dykes, transsexuals, gender freaks, workers, and their friends."

The bar's viral moment came courtesy of a Boston Globe story detailing a masking dispute. Owners had tried to relax the bar's Covid mask-wearing policy for one night a week to boost Saturday business, but the move sparked backlash from customers who accused them of ableism and abandoning immunocompromised people. That backlash was then followed by a counter-backlash, with people piling on and mocking customers' concerns about contracting Covid. The publicity did attract some support - just not enough to keep the lights on.

"We put our lives on hold to foster networks of care, resources and a home base for organizing. It's time we pass it on," the bar said on Instagram. "We've been fighting since the beginning to fill out the team, and we still don't have a board/leadership to manage workers' owned co-op transfer. We are soft closing effective immediately; all booked events will continue; otherwise, we are closed."

The sale, should a buyer emerge, includes furniture, equipment, inventory, and social media pages, with an estimated value of $70,000. As the Globe reported, the bar was already in financial trouble before the masking furor. Two of the three original owners had dropped out, leaving the remaining owner to repay the $50,000 loan the trio took out to open the bar - while living out of her truck and working several jobs to keep the dream alive. The Guardian has reached out to the Last Ditch bar for comment.