#uglylaws — Public Fediverse posts

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

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:

https://pmefa.org/

#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

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 #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 #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 #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 #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

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.

https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/health/austrian-woman-is-found-guilty-of-fatally-infecting-her-neighbor-with-covid-19/article_90e041c1-c362-5eec-90d3-f21d4c33cc0f.html

#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.

https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/health/austrian-woman-is-found-guilty-of-fatally-infecting-her-neighbor-with-covid-19/article_90e041c1-c362-5eec-90d3-f21d4c33cc0f.html

#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