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A Massachusetts chapter of the Communist Party took aim at The Boston Globe on Thursday over its reporting on a lesbian bar that has been criticized for lifting its mask mandate for just one night a week.
The Boston Globe published an article about Last Ditch, a lesbian bar in Greenfield, Massachusetts, that sparked community backlash after it announced it would be making Saturdays mask-optional. The community responded with accusations of ableism and some even called for a boycott of the business.
The Western Massachusetts CPUSA posted a statement on X and on its website calling for solidarity with “the queer and transgender people of our region facing heightened national scrutiny.”
On X, the graphic that included the statement suggested the Globe was part of “MAGA Media,” saying, “The Boston Globe, an ally of corporate lobbies across the state, stands on the other side. After endorsing notoriously transphobic Rep. Seth Moulton’s failed Senate campaign, the Globe has pivoted to courting the outrage of the national extreme right and directing it at our region.”
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A lesbian bar in Greenfield, Massachusetts, sparked community backlash after lifting its mask mandate for one night a week. (Google Maps)
The statement argued the article about the Greenfield lesbian bar was “not newsworthy.”
“The September 22nd article is not newsworthy, except in the context of the upcoming midterm elections in which transgender rights are a central political issue, as well as a far-right national consumer base which makes the scrutiny of transgender lives profitable,” it read.
“The Western Massachusetts CPUSA rejects the use of conflicts among LGBTQIA+ people and organizations as a tool of division by the extreme right. We reaffirm our solidarity with all those struggling against the genocide of transgender people,” the statement added.
The Boston Globe’s director of communications Adam Bagni responded to the criticism in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“The Boston Globe is locally owned, and our newsroom makes editorial decisions independently, guided by our commitment to fair and accurate reporting,” the statement said.
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Bartender Ron stands behind the counter of a bar in Hamburg’s Schanzenviertel wearing a mask. A sign at the entrance reads, “Please wear mask.” (Dpa/picture alliance via Getty)
Some critics accused Last Ditch’s owners of putting disabled people at risk and compared the policy change to a “mass disabling event” and a “eugenicist” attack while also wishing violence against the establishment, according to the Globe.
“I hope your venue gets firebombed for robbing my fellow immunocompromised people of their Saturday plans just to scrape extra revenue from ablists [sic],” one commenter wrote on the bar’s social media post announcing the change.
“People like you kill disabled people in the name of your own leisure and convenience,” wrote another.
“Just say you’re being complicit in a mass disabling event and get it over with,” a third said.
“When y’all close, let the record state it was ableism + complying in advance, because that’s what it is,” another wrote.
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A “face mask required” sign hangs on a restaurant entry door. (Getty Images)
This comes years after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared over by the federal government in 2023. State and local governments, as well as most businesses across the country, lifted masking requirements several years ago. Additionally, Greenfield had not reported a COVID-19 case in more than two months, according to the Globe.
The backlash came as the bar was already struggling financially under its unusual business model, which includes rules such as “Nobody will be barred from entry due to lack of funds.”
“It is with love we inform our immunocompromised disabled divas we will be opening Saturday nights as mask optional,” Last Ditch wrote in an August Instagram post that ignited the backlash.
The bar first attempted to ease tensions and apologize for its post, writing: “We are sorry for our passive and dismissive tone of our change to the norms and schedule impacting the most intersectional of us. We understand everyone faces different intersections, and we are always working to consider all needs fully.”
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A neon sign reading “face mask required” is displayed in a rainy window. (Getty Images)
On Thursday, the bar called the Globe’s article “abysmal journalism” in a post on Instagram.
Last Ditch also issued a call for donations and support, saying, “Operating a venue is expensive, especially when prioritizing community over profit. Our owners work on a volunteer basis (that’s right, none of our owners receive a wage or salary) so every dollar we receive can be reinvested in Last Ditch to pay employees & performers, restock product, make necessary renovations to the space, advertise, and so. much. more.”
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Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.