A small-town lesbian bar in Australia, Last Ditch, reports it is left “reeling” after receiving hostile backlash online and offline following a decision to remove its COVID-style mask requirement to attract more customers. The reactions include threats directed at the venue, according to reports.
The outlets describe the episode as drawing widespread attention, with some internet users turning the situation into a spectacle. Coverage characterizes the backlash as part of a broader “woke” or culture-war context, where the bar’s change becomes a flashpoint for competing views about public behaviour and social expectations.
While all accounts focus on the removal of mask requirements and the surge of negative responses, they differ in tone and emphasis: some frame it as a cautionary tale about being “accessible” to too broad an audience, while others highlight the extent of online mockery and the severity of threatening messages. Across the reports, Last Ditch’s main concern is the impact of the controversy on the venue and its community.
