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
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