A Massachusetts Lesbian Bar Relaxed Its Masking Rules and Absolute Mayhem Ensued

This cannot be real life, but it is: a lesbian bar, Last Ditch Bar and Arts Venue, in Greenfield, Massachusetts, relaxed its masking rules on August 31, and all hell broke loose. You think you're reading a parody, but no. The owner was accused of being ableist and, at worst, a pure eugenicist. Some hoped the establishment would be firebombed for putting the immunocompromised at risk. The online mob beat down the bar into issuing an apology, but that poured more fuel on the fire. Why? Because it didn't provide a way for the visually impaired to read it — I'm not kidding.

It started with three women at the helm, though only one, Jackie Matellian, remains. The bar was struggling to stay afloat, so they decided to relax this masking rule, in concert with the state's gay Chamber of Commerce, which I had no idea existed. It was meant to draw more customers...