Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #uglylaws, aggregated by home.social.
This article @SabiLewSounds posted talks a lot about the origins #mentalhealth treatments
Things that remain centerstage today in the #marginalization of so many
There's a long history of #segregation and #uglylaws, on and on, to keep those who don't conform with expected norms from having an affect on lulled masses
#fascist #hierarchical #capitalist #elitism is present in systems that are not, nor ever were, built to help the #marginalized
They created the very disparity seen still today
If you’re not fighting against mask bans because you think they “only” apply to those committing crimes… consider the following:
Who decides who’s committing a crime? The police. POC who mask will be disproportionately targeted.
Who decides if your medical exemption is “good enough”? Police
The police aren’t doctors. It shouldn’t be up to them to determine who has a valid reason for masking.
Many disabilities are invisible. We struggle to convince healthcare workers that we’re sick. What chance do we have with law enforcement?
Non disabled people also need the right to mask.
Finally, anti mask sentiment is at an all time high.
Before COVID, no one cared if you wore a mask in public. The worst that would happen is you might get a strange look.
Now there’s an entire segment of the population who see it as political virtue signalling.
There’s others with unresolved pandemic trauma who get irrationally angry when they see someone wearing a mask.
It’s (sadly) no longer a non event. Now it’s controversial. Adversarial. Political.
As a result, criminalizing masks will only further embolden those who seek to harm maskers
We need to normalize masks as a public health tool before it’s too late.
If you care about social justice, disability rights, fighting fascism or your health… you should be wearing a mask. Ideally an N95 or better.
The more of us wearing them, the harder they will be to ban.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming these bans are “no big deal”.
They are a very big deal. They will cost lives. Both due to Covid spread and also violence at the hands of law enforcement or vigilante anti-maskers.
Call and email your elected officials. Tell them no mask bans.
#maskbans #uspoli #noNYmaskban #uglylaws #ableism #discrimination #covidisnotover #covidisairborne #disability #wearamask
Panda Express walked back their employee mask ban in response to public outcry.
Starbucks is also attempting to prohibit their employees from masking unless they have a doctors note.
Get loud. Call, email & boycott. These ableist decisions are reversible, we just need to keep up the fight!
#nomaskbans #ableism #discrimination #fascism #uglylaws #eugenics #starbucks #pandaexpress #disability #covidisnotover
Panda Express becomes the latest business to ban masks for employees, insisting that being able to see facial expressions is necessary for team building.
This is ableist & discriminatory. Employees have to apply to be allowed to mask, putting an undue burden on disabled staff.
Not to mention these are minimum wage paying jobs and many staff may not be able to afford a doctors note or whatever arbitrary “proof” the company will require to allow staff to mask.
#uglylaws #capitalism #ableism #fascism #eugenics #disability #disabilityjustice #maskbans
Mask bans are ableist, discriminatory ugly laws.
Disabled advocates have been warning for years that if people didn’t help normalize masking, bans would follow
Please call legislators in New York and tell them No mask bans!
Medical exemptions aren’t enough, everyone needs the legal right to mask
The police are not doctors. They can’t determine who’s “sick enough” to wear a mask.
Many people with invisible illnesses struggle to get healthcare workers to take us seriously. We don’t want to be questioned by police.
Everyone should be allowed to mask up to prevent covid.
#nomaskban #noNYmaskban #CovidIsNotOver #covidisairborne #sarscov2 #uglylaws #fascism #ableism #eugenics #disability
Time is running out to fight the New York mask ban!
They’re to sneak it into the budget, and once again folks are claiming it’s “fine” because there’s a medical exemption
These bans criminalize masks, Including medical masks like N95s
Medical exemptions are NOT the answer
https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nassau-county-ny-makes-masking-illegal
#noNYmaskban #maskbans #uspoli #fascism #uglylaws #ableism #eugenics #disability
New York Governor Hochul is trying to sneak a mask ban into the budget, despite the opposition of many disabled & high risk people who NEED masks to safely access public spaces.
Criminalizing masks during an airborne pandemic, while measles is on the rise, is dangerous, ableist & eugenicist.
Call and email elected officials and tell them you oppose mask bans and that medical exemptions are NOT sufficient
https://gothamist.com/news/gov-hochul-is-pushing-a-last-minute-subway-mask-ban-in-state-budget-talks
#maskban #noNYmaskban #ableism #eugenics #uglylaws #newyork #uspoli #covidisairborne #covidisnotover
Mask bans already exist in certain States and counties.
Vance spearheaded a federal ban on mask mandates.
Organizing to codify the right to wear medical masks and respirators is (sadly) needed.
Masking is community care and resistance.
Illinois attempting to codify right to mask into law:
#uspoli #nomaskbans #ableism #eugenics #uglylaws #disability #longcovid #covidisairborne
If you think mask bans are “no big deal” because there’s medical exemptions, please consider the following:
😷 Police are not doctors
😷 Many disabilities are invisible
😷 Disabled people don’t live in a bubble. I need my friends and caregivers to mask to protect me
😷 Everyone should have the right to protect their health, you shouldn’t have to already be sick to be permitted to mask
😷 Criminalizing masks sends a message that maskers are “bad”. It emboldens anti-maskers and increases odds of aggression
The reality is that mask bans are discriminatory, ableist and eugenicist. They push disabled people out of public spaces. They put marginalized and POC at increased risk of police profiling.
There’s no official policy for a medical exemption either, it’s at police discretion.
If you’re stopped and questioned, you will have to prove you’re masking for the “right reasons”
I’m more than willing to admit that if I were stopped by a cop for masking, I would appear nervous, shaky, tachycardic and probably “suspicious”.
Not because I’m doing anything wrong, but because my illnesses do not respond well to stress and the police are stressful.
It’s not right to put the onus on the masker to defend their right to mask. We’re still in a global pandemic. Texas has a measles outbreak. There’s tuberculosis in Kansas. Bird flu is spreading and it’s the worst year for influenza A in over a decade.
Masks are a public health tool. They’re a disability accommodation. They should NOT be criminalized.
For more on mask bans and medical exemptions, I wrote an article on the Nassau County ban here:
https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nassau-county-ny-makes-masking-illegal
#nomaskban #uspoli #texas #northcarolina #maskban #disability #uglylaws #publichealth #ableism #eugenics #h5n1 #measles #longcovid #covidisairborne
Texas becomes the latest State to propose a mask ban (while in the midst of a measles outbreak that’s currently over 100 cases).
These are ugly laws. They’re discriminatory & push disabled people further out of society. They increase the likelihood of police harassment. They paint maskers as “bad”.
There’s an excellent document with scripts for how to call & fight back! 🧵 1/2
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1704ui-FIcCqF97SX5uVnjP-Xi4A6m4WUXjce2ZonKEI/mobilebasic
#uspoli #maskbans #nomaskbans #uglylaws #infectioncontrol #publichealth #texas #measles #covidisairborne #covidisnotover #ableism #eugenics #disability
As more States propose mask bans, I want to take a moment to discuss claims that it’s “fear mongering” to say that masking is illegal.
People claim the medical exemption is “good enough”.
This ignores three critical points. Public perception, anti mask sentiment and rampant ableism
First things first, mask bans make masking a criminal offence. They make the act of wearing a mask illegal.
Sure there may be medical exemptions, but they’re incredibly problematic.
Lawmakers specifically chose not to exempt medical masks and respirators. The burden is on the wearer
Second, public perception around masking is very different now than it was before Covid.
People are irrationally angry when they see a mask. They’ve been politicized and folks have created an identity in their minds about who a masker is. A liberal. A sheep. Someone who’s anti-freedom.
None of their preconceived notions are based in fact or reality, but they fuel the anger and rage that gets directed at maskers every day.
When you enact a mask ban, you embolden these people. They aren’t reading the bills and considering medical exemptions.
They just hear they’re banned.
As a result they think they can demand you remove your mask. They may call the police on you. They will certainly feel justified in judging and targeting maskers and declaring that they’re doing “something wrong”.
This emboldening creates a dangerous situation that could easily lead to violence
This is why we must discuss anti mask sentiment when talking about mask bans.
Many disabled people masked before covid. I was one of them. The worst I ever got was a strange look or someone moving far away from me on transit
Since mask mandates ended I’ve been coughed on, spit at and yelled at
People view masks as bad and loathe anyone who’s still wearing them.
When you publicly enact a mask ban, you’re telling those people they’re right. That it’s ok to harass people for masking. That it’s wrong to wear a mask and protect your health.
You’re increasing the hostility.
Finally there’s the issue of ableism. Mask bans make public spaces less accessible. Period.
For many of us a good mask is the only reason we can be out in public. If you make it a crime, we risk being stopped by the police and forced to justify our disabilities.
Many of us have a difficult time getting healthcare workers to take us seriously, but we’re supposed to assume law enforcement will believe we’re masking for the right reasons?
That’s a risk we should never be forced to take. The interaction alone would negatively impact our baseline
Lastly… any reason for wearing a mask should be good enough.
We are still in a global pandemic. Millions are dead, even more are disabled. People are still dying every week.
Wearing a mask to protect yourself - whether disabled or not - is a smart and caring choice
The idea that someone should be forced to justify that choice or risk arrest is patently absurd.
Which is why mask bans are wrong.
The best way to fight these bans is to mask up. The more people wearing masks, the harder they will be to ban.
You can also call and email your local lawmakers and tell them you strongly oppose bans which make a medical mask illegal.
Please don’t wait until someone is assaulted or arrested just for wearing a medical device. Help us fight these bans now.
I’ve written extensively about mask bans, if you want a full length piece about why medical exemptions are not the answer, please read my article on Nassau County
Exemptions leave many people behind. They put undue burden on disabled individuals. They increase risk of profiling marginalized people
https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nassau-county-ny-makes-masking-illegal
#uglylaws #maskbans #discrimination #ableism #disability #uspoli #eugenics #COVIDisAirborne #CovidIsNotOver
Another day, another attempted mask ban. This time in Maryland.
Please, if you stopped masking we really need you to start again. It will reduce the number of Covid and flu cases, but it will also help normalize masks as a health tool.
Disabled people need you to help fight us these ugly laws:
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb1081F.pdf
#maskbans #uspoli #nomaskban #uglylaws #eugenics #ableism #disability #covidisairborme
North Dakota becomes the latest state to try & enact a mask ban
Pay particular attention to this part of the bill
“With intent to conceal the identity of individual while congregating in a public place with any other individual wearing a mask”
Being masked with other maskers should NOT be a crime
https://ndlegis.gov/content/application-template
#maskban #nomaskban #covidisnotover #uglylaws #uspoli #disability #ableism #disabilityrights
After the #SCOTUS decision regarding #GrantsPassOre
States across the country are ramping up anti #homelessness laws that make being without shelter illegal, meaning arrest
When asked about rapidly escalating numbers for the #homeless population, #Biden blamed #immigration
Consider this, those who are #marginalized are proportionally far more likely to be in #poverty
#endracistpolicies #AbleismKills #GrantsPassOregonvJohnson #homelessnessisnowacrime #uglylaws #disability
After the release of #Wicked, there was discussion of the #UglyLaws once present, up until the 1970s, but can it really be said that such things are in the past, when more and more, being without shelter and helping those without shelter face punishment?
In July, #SCOTUS decided that it's #Constitutional for those without shelter to face arrest. More and more those who are #disabled face this all the more. Not to mention #racial #discrimination.
I've been working on this one way too long. It's my best attempt at explaining why covid cautiousness means so much to me.
https://open.substack.com/pub/destinysugarb/p/when-you-called-it-genocide?r=20192m&utm_medium=ios
#stillmasking #yallmasking #saltingthevibe #saltingthevibes #CovidIsntOver #CovidIsNotOver #covidcautious #CovidConscious #stillcoviding #disabilityjustice #eugenics #globalwarming #healthcare #healthequity #uglylaws #leftist #democrat #Harris #Biden #DNC #collapse #resist #genocide #eugenics
Ugly laws will be enforced in Louisville. Medical masks will be allowed at “police discretion”.
Police chief says: “We do have to look at behavior of person, what they're doing at time, those kinds of things."
I have a disability that makes me LOOK nervous. I “appear” like I could be doing something wrong. As a result these bans terrify me.
Disabled people have been begging others to mask for years because we were afraid of this exact outcome.
Failure to normalize masking means those of us who NEED to wear them are seen as outliers. Deviants. Possibly criminals. There’s a target on our back.
Medical exemptions are not the answer - they leave too many people behind.
Everyone should have the right to protect themselves from a deadly & disabling virus. Whether already disabled or not.
Banning masks and then saying that the police will determine who is “legit” in wearing one based on their overall behaviour? Its terrifying.
This is exactly HOW profiling occurs. These bans will disproportionately impact marginalized individuals and people of colour.
They could also impact someone with a condition like mine. I’m immune compromised and high risk for Covid complications - so I ALWAYS wear a fitted respirator when I’m outside my home.
I also have dysautonomia - a literal malfunctioning of my autonomic nervous system.
If I’m upright - I “look” nervous. I’m sweaty, shaky, twitchy and sometimes wobbling. I’ve been accused of being drunk in public on MANY occasions.
It’s not my fault - Dysautonomia means I can’t regulate my blood pressure, heart rate, sweating & even pupil dilation.
The things that cops are trained to look for and consider “suspicious” are all symptoms of my disease.
In the past - the worst thing I had to worry about was being accused of public drunkenness. Even THAT was scary for me.
Mask bans mean I could be arrested and charged with a crime. Just for trying to keep myself & others safe.
I tell this story to encourage others to speak up against mask bans. To mask up in solidarity and help us normalize them so they will be harder to ban.
To encourage people to stop assuming if you have a “legitimate medical reason” you won’t have to worry. We DO worry.
We need less judgement, assumptions and gaslighting and more allies. These laws are dangerous. They will lead to more death, disability AND division.
Many of us have difficulty convincing HCWs of our illnesses - what hope do we have with police?
Please - if you CAN mask - now is the time. You don’t have to wait for a mandate or permission. You can choose to say “enough is enough” & be part of the solution. Break chains of transmission. Protect the vulnerable. Don’t allow government to decide who is & isn’t expendable.
We all have power and agency and can choose to do the right thing. We don’t have to sit idly by and accept repeated covid infections & exclusion of disabled people from public life.
Let’s work together and stop these bans before it’s too late.
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #UglyLaws
This is where ugly laws lead… to disabled people being excluded from essential public places like grocery stores.
If you CAN mask and are choosing not to - you’re contributing to this problem. If you’re not opposing mask bans - you’re making it easy to exclude us.
#covidisairborne #covidisnotover #maskup #wearamask #eugenics #discrimination #ableism #disabilityrights #nomaskbans #maskbans #uglylaws #FightMaskBans #WearAMask
I called EMS once and police showed up before paramedics (paramedics were busy).
The first thing they said? “You don’t look sick.”
They waited for paramedics who took me to hospital - but that initial response stuck with me.
It’s why mask bans are dangerous. Police aren’t trained to make medical decisions. They shouldn’t be the ones deciding who can and can’t legally wear a mask.
Many illnesses are invisible - you wouldn’t KNOW we’re disabled to look at us.
Most of us have experienced gaslighting from friends, family and even doctors - people are quick to judge and decide you’re “not that sick.”
So are we really expected to risk criminal charges by wearing a respirator & just HOPE police will believe we truly “need it”?
Not to mention that medical exemptions leave behind anyone who wants to mask to protect and preserve their health - as well as caregivers and family of disabled people.
We rely on them to keep us safe - we NEED them masking in public.
I sincerely hope more people join the fight against mask bans soon - because if we don’t fight against them - more cities and states will pass them and more people will suffer.
A good respirator is excellent protection against covid & other illnesses.
We shouldn’t be further excluding disabled and high risk people from public - but that’s exactly what these ugly laws do.
Call your elected officials - tell them medical masks can not and should not be banned.
Don’t embrace escalating fascism and eugenics just because you don’t think it will impact you.
Don’t celebrate it because you hold a grudge about mask mandates.
It won’t stop with disabled people. Help us now & your future self will thank you.
My full article on mask bans, medical exemptions and how we’re witnessing (and even welcoming) escalating eugenics and fascism: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/we-are-witnessing-real-time-eugenics
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws
Judge dismissed lawsuit filed by Disability Rights New York on behalf of two disabled individuals opposing Nassau County mask ban.
Reason? “There’s a medical exemption - you’ll be fine.”
If they thought they would be “fine” we wouldn’t need lawsuits!
This belies logic. We all know that not everyone will be considered “legit enough” to be masking. It’s not right to allow law enforcement to determine who can and can’t wear a mask.
This will also give police yet another reason to stop and harass people of colour.
For more on mask bans and why medical exemptions are NOT the answer: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nassau-county-ny-makes-masking-illegal
Original news article on the lawsuit https://apnews.com/article/mask-ban-long-island-new-york-78dc727b3fe212014ef4371f3ad07417
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws
When I was a little kid - I knew I was “different”. I didn’t know WHY - but I didn’t want to play with other kids. I begged my parents not to make me do sports, gym or extra-curricular activities. I spent weekends sleeping instead of going to parties or watching Saturday morning cartoons.
Kids who develop chronic illness or disability early in life won’t necessarily KNOW they’re sick. They’re just learning how to express themselves - and if the symptoms started young they can’t possibly know it’s not “normal.” All too often they’re pushed to do things that are harmful to them - because adults assume they’re faking or attention seeking.
In my case it turned out I had vEDS - the most severe form of Ehlers Danlos syndrome. Which is why I was in pain all the time. Why I was constantly injured, sick and exhausted.
I didn’t even realize I was sick until university - living with other kids my age was a shocking wake up call. Seeing what they could do versus what I could do made abundantly obvious that my “different” was actually some sort of serious health challenge.
It took almost two more decades to finally get diagnosed.
I wrote about my struggles to realize I was disabled in a personal essay about libraries. It might sound strange - but my local public library became my safe haven. It’s where I went to rest, recharge and avoid bullying and judgement. Books never let me down and they helped me explore life in a safe and accessible manner.
What a gift that was: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/libraries-my-safe-haven-as-a-chronically
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws #booknerd #libraries #bibliophile
Disabled and high risk people aren’t safe anywhere because of people & stories like this one.
Even those who know & love someone vulnerable refuse to take precautions.
They don’t isolate or mask when they’re sick. They’re knowingly exposing vulnerable people and don’t care.
Perhaps the most frustrating part is that sometimes - in a very blue moon - a person will recognize and be grateful they didn’t expose YOU. If it’s someone who knows and loves you they will express relief that they didn’t get you sick.
But they can’t extend that compassion to anyone else in society. They act as if YOU are the only vulnerable person in the world.
https://www.disabledginger.com/p/covid-4-years-in
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws
Why do we undervalue the lives of disabled people so much? Why do we expect them to survive on a disability benefit that keeps them below poverty line - especially when being chronically ill drives expenses up? I spoke to a friend about this & was shocked by the response.
We were discussing CERB - the Canadian emergency payment people received if they were laid off due to Covid shutdowns. I mentioned it felt unreasonable that it paid almost double what people on disability receive.
This friend informed me that working people expect to be able to live off what they make - and therefore if they’re unable to work they “deserve” more money. Disabled people however need to learn to “budget” for their new circumstances and “do more with less.”
I tried to point out that no one “plans” a disability. The suddenness of it is no different than being laid off from work. They were speaking as though all disabled people know they’re going to be disabled & therefore should be planning to live on less for their entire lives.
I pointed out that with a lay off - the impacted person at least has a chance to try and find alternate work/income. With disability you are PROHIBITED from earning any additional money and (if your disability is permanent) you won’t ever be able to work again.
That is a far more precarious financial situation and yet for some reason - disability payments are almost half what people on CERB received. And my temporarily abled friend saw absolutely nothing wrong with that.
This friend also seemed to think all disability was permanent. I explained that sometimes people are temporarily disabled due to surgery or an accident etc. Apparently they felt those people deserved the same as a “working person” but the permanently disabled deserved less.
My final argument was that being disabled tends to come with a lot more expenses because being sick costs a lot of money. Many disabilities require specific accommodations, special diets, expensive medications, mobility aids etc.
Their reply was that disabled people have to budget accordingly and not be the government or the taxpayers problem. I informed them that you can’t get blood from a stone & that it’s impossible to live on $1100 a month - especially when sick.
“Survival of the fittest” was the response I received. That disabled people should consider themselves “lucky” to get anything and not be a burden on those who are still economically active. 1/2
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws
If you don’t understand why disabled people are screaming about ableism, eugenics and mask bans … please read.
We’ve gone from protect the vulnerable, to stay home forever, to let them fall by the wayside … to making us criminals for wearing a medical device. We are NOT ok .
https://www.disabledginger.com/p/we-are-witnessing-real-time-eugenics
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws
I can’t stop thinking about the Austrian woman who was convicted of grossly negligent homicide for infecting her neighbour with COVID. The neighbour had cancer and subsequently died.
The woman who infected her KNEW she was positive and had flaunted her decision not to isolate to her doctor. It was also her second pandemic related offence. This is clearly someone who doesn’t care who she hurts.
But what’s bothering me the most is the statement made by the judge in the case - who suspended her sentence and said he felt sorry for her.
“I feel sorry for you personally -- I think that something like this has probably happened hundreds of times," the judge said Thursday. "But you are unlucky that an expert has determined with almost absolute certainty that it was an infection that came from you.”
What kind of a world are we living in where the “unlucky” person is the one who knowingly infected someone else? I’m sorry but the unlucky person is the cancer patient who DIED. The person who needed others to take reasonable measures to keep her safe. Her life is over because of this woman’s actions and yet somehow the offender earns the pity of the judge?
The judge’s remarks perfectly sum up the problem with our pandemic response (or lack thereof) Many people ARE doing the same thing - but it doesn't make it right. It's not "right" to knowingly put someone else's health in jeopardy. It's not"right" to put your individual WANTS ahead of the NEEDS of the collective whole.
His comments basically affirm for others that this behaviour is ok as long as you don’t get caught - and that’s horrifying to me. It’s not and will never be “ok”.
I don't know how we ended up here - but we need to change course.
Millions are dead and many more are disabled - their lives will never be the same again.
We have to start caring about others. Wear a mask. Test. Isolate when sick. Clean the air. You do you isn’t working.
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws
Austrian woman convicted of negligent homicide after infecting her neighbour with COVID (they died).
The woman had tested positive & told her doctor she wouldn’t isolate.
I always ask if people would change behaviour if they had to face a person they killed…is this a no? It was her second offence.
I worry people can’t conceive that THEY are responsible for someone’s death or disability. They just blame the virus. When the virus only caused harmed because someone infected another person. This woman could have isolated. She could have worn a mask. She knowingly went out while infectious and positive … and someone died.
Does anyone know if any other countries have pursued similar cases? I was genuinely shocked to see this - but I think it needs to happen. People need to be held accountable.
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws
Here we go again… mask bans are spreading (as disabled people warned they would!)
Sen. Jon Bramnick is proposing a bill to criminalize masking in public in New Jersey.
Many of us have been saying for months (if not longer) that if we don’t start normalizing masks as a public health tool - they would be easy to ban. Too many people who can and should be masking have stopped… leaving maskers as the outliers amid a loud frenzy of anti-mask rhetoric.
I genuinely believe most people don’t care if another person wears a respirator - unfortunately the ones who are angry about it seem to be making the most noise. When it’s mostly disabled and marginalized people opposing the bans - it’s easy to see why they pass. We aren’t listened to. We aren’t respected. Our lives aren’t valued. Those in power are perfectly fine infecting us or forcing us to stay home forever. We are an unwelcome reminder that the pandemic is not over, that Covid is still killing and disabling people and that you SHOULD be taking precautions.
If you stopped masking - now is a great time to start again. We need you. Even if you don’t believe you’re at risk - mask in solidarity with disabled and high risk individuals whose lives will be put at risk if these ugly laws pass. Mask to break chains of transmission. Mask to show community care. Mask so you won’t be the person who disables or harms someone else.
For more on New Jersey ban: https://nj1015.com/mask-ban-nj-could-ban-masks-in-public-and-at-protests/
The Covid is Not Over newsletter (which is great & you should check it out if you haven’t already) did an in depth summary of mask bans including links to many important articles: https://johndupuis.substack.com/p/eugenics-in-action-mask-bans-segregate
I wrote a piece on Nassau County ban and why medical exemptions aren’t the answer: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/nassau-county-ny-makes-masking-illegal
And another piece on the North Carolina ban and why appeasing anti-maskers who seek to punish disabled people for mandates is NOT the answer: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/north-carolina-passes-hb-237-and
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #MaskBans #NoMaskBans #bullying #CleanAirClassrooms #UglyLaws
Disabled people are NOT ok right now. Covid is surging everywhere, no one is masking and mask BANS are spreading.
We have no safe spaces anymore. Eugenics and ugly laws are being embraced and even celebrated. Healthcare workers won’t mask for us and judge us for wearing them to protect ourselves.
We know that Covid is a threat to everyone - but the return to ugly laws, increase in ableism and general disdain for disabled individuals makes it a terrifying time for us. We aren’t just afraid of Covid - we have to be afraid of escalating violence, segregation and hate coming from all sides.
We need your help. There’s no better time to start masking than right now! Wear a mask, carry extras to give out to people who need one and thank people for masking. Practicing community care by masking up is a great way to show solidarity with disabled individuals while protecting your health and the health of those around you.
Call and email lawmakers and demand masks in hospitals and long term care as well as clean air in all public settings (especially schools, school busses, congregate settings and jails).
Stop believing the lie that we’ve beaten Covid - because it IS a lie. Right now Covid is beating us.
The good news is we don’t have to let the virus win. We can say “enough is enough” and fight for better mitigations. We can fight against ableism and eugenics. We can demand better for ourselves and future generations.
If you want to learn more about mask bans and why they’re based in eugenics - or how it feels to be a disabled person right now -
I wrote an article on eugenics and how people are looking the other way:
https://www.disabledginger.com/p/we-are-witnessing-real-time-eugenics
#NoMaskBans
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #maskbans #UglyLaws
The mask ban in Nassau County, NY went into effect today. It’s a dangerous, discriminatory and highly ableist ban that makes masking a criminal act.
The police will determine who is “sick enough” to wear a mask.
Everyone else? $1000 fine and/or jail.
I’ve written about mask bans in great detail in the past - I’m strongly opposed to them. Legislators say they’re designed to deter crime - when we know a medical mask does very little to obscure identity.
The reality is there’s no evidence to suggest they will stop crime - however there’s ample proof that they will deter high risk individuals from masking in public (or from being in public at all).
Invisible illnesses and disabilities are difficult for even doctors to understand - no one is going to feel comfortable letting a police officer determine if they’re “disabled enough” to not be breaking the law.
Bans like this increase the likelihood of harassment and violence against mask wearers - because people feel emboldened by the government effectively telling them that those who mask are “bad”. We aren’t bad - we’re just trying to survive.
My heart aches for everyone who wants and needs to protect their health in places that are enacting these bans - and I can only hope that if we keep getting loud and pushing back we can stop them from spreading.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming it can’t happen where you live - these bans can (and will) be enacted in more places if there isn’t public outcry.
Medical tools should never be banned. Masks are a critical accessibility & public health tool. They help. They don’t harm.
You know what does harm? Unmitigated covid spread. Ableism. Police profiling and law enforcement overreach. Anti-mask aggression. Bad policies and the refusal to pay attention to the science of airborne spread.
Nassau County just became more unsafe for everyone. Maskers and non maskers alike. Just like North Carolina before it… they’ve sent a very clear message that vulnerable people don’t matter. Marginalized people don’t matter. Ableism is alive and well.
If you want to read more about my thoughts on the North Carolina mask ban (and why medical exemptions are problematic and leave people behind)… I wrote an article on it here: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/north-carolina-passes-hb-237-and
You should also read the powerful TeenVogue article by Alice Wong on mask bans. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to contribute - and I appreciate Teen Vogue being willing to tackle these critical subjects: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/mask-bans-disabled-people-protest
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #maskbans #NoMaskBans #UglyLaws
In Nassau County “Police will determine who is wearing a mask for medical reasons.” How?!?
Many of us with invisible chronic illnesses have a hard time getting DOCTORS to take us seriously. Now we have to trust the police will believe us?
I can’t even explain how absurd this feels to me … police officers aren’t medical professionals. They’re not entitled to our medical information - nor are they trained to understand it.
We already know that marginalized individuals and POC will be disproportionately impacted by these bans - and they give police a reason to stop an individual and force them to remove their mask. In a stressful situation like that - where you’re also risking Covid infection - it’ll be incredibly difficult to convey your medical reasons for wearing a mask.
Not to mention the fact that we are still very much IN an airborne pandemic - and everyone should have the right to protect themselves. It shouldn’t be “only the vulnerable”. Disabled people don’t exist in a vacuum - we have family and friends and caregivers who we trust not to bring COVID home to us. Many others simply value their health and don’t want to get sick. Others have to wear masks for pollen, scents, wildfire smoke etc.
This ban is dangerous AND discriminatory and it won’t stop in Nassau County. Just like it didn’t stop in North Carolina. Please speak up. If you can wear a mask - now’s the time to wear one. The more people helping to normalize them as a medical tool the harder they will be to ban. Call lawmakers and tell them you oppose these ugly laws. Tell them you won’t travel anywhere they’re in place.
We can still fight back - and we MUST keep trying. We can’t wait until cases are fought individually in the courts. Too many lives will be ruined by then.
H/t @luckytran for the video below
https://med-mastodon.com/@luckytran/112913086150972900
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #Dysautonomia #mecfs #pots #mcas #communitycare #wearamask #chronicillness #keepmasksinhealthcare #maskbans #NoMaskBans #UglyLaws
I urge everyone to read this post from Lucky Tran about a proposed mask ban in Nassau County that would see people fined $1000 for wearing a mask. As soon as North Carolina passed their mask ban - we began seeing other cities and states follow suit.
Mask bans are wrong. Period. We are in an airborne pandemic where one of our best and only tools remains a well fitted respirator. The idea that people should have to carry around a medical exemption (which not everyone can obtain) or face fines and/or arrest is ableist and discriminatory. These bans force disabled people out of society because they don’t allow us to exist safely in public spaces - and they will increase the spread of Covid.
Call, email, post… speak out against these bans. Let lawmakers know you won’t visit any city or state that doesn’t allow people to wear a medical device for personal protection and community care.
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #MaskBan #BoycottNC #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #NorthCarolina #NewYork #UglyLaws #NewJersey
A few days ago - the NYC Dyke March put out a very strong statement saying that in response to proposed mask bans - and in solidarity with the disability community - the march would be fully masked.
I was thrilled to see it as I think these types of statements will help dissuade governments from banning medical masks.
Imagine my surprise when the march happened with a small “masked” section! Everyone else was unmasked.
The great irony here is that kind of segregation is exactly what’s going to happen as more mask ban bills pass. Masking will only be permitted for a very narrow number of “exempt” people while everyone else will go without.
If you’re able to mask up - please do it now. The more people masking the more we can normalize it as a medical tool to protect health!
Very grateful to the people who were masking - but concerned for all those high risk people who showed up expecting a fully masked event.
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidCautious #CovidIsNotOver #MaskBan #BoycottNC #CleanAir #WearaMask #Disability #LongCovid #Ableism #Denial #CleanAir #Pandemic #PublicHealth #InfectionControl #Eugenics #SafeHealthcare #N95 #Respirators #MasksWork #MaskUp #Spoonie #Discrimination #NorthCarolina #NewYork #UglyLaws