Thread by @broadwaybabyto

“You excluded us with vaccine passports & mask mandates - now we’re going to take your masks away & you can stay home forever. You deserve it”. I’ve heard this countless times & it’s always a punch in the gut.

🧵 on compassion, criminalization and the need for Covid mitigation.

First of all - no one “deserves” to be infected with a deadly and disabling virus. A virus that has claimed millions of lives and is STILL killing & maiming every single day. When you refused to wear a mask - you were CHOOSING to risk your health. Some of us can’t risk ours. /2

Second - this idea that disabled and vulnerable people were the ones who forced mandates is patently absurd. Most of us were completely isolated during the height of COVID because we couldn’t take ANY risks. We were not out harassing people to wear masks. /3

Governments & policy makers don’t listen to us. They never have. If they did we would be in a much better place with both covid mitigations and disability rights. But we are consistently ignored. So the idea that WE are to blame for mandates is laughable. /4

But even if you hold a grudge - please try and understand the difference between a temporary mask mandate designed to PROTECT people - and a mask BAN that will endanger lives. People need to be able to protect themselves & respirators are the best way to do that. /5

Best as I can tell - it was not a criminal offence to ignore mask mandates. You were barred from public places - no different than you would be if you went without pants. If you refused to leave you might be considered trespassing - but NOT masking was not a criminal offence /6

The bill in North Carolina makes masking with medical masks illegal. In ALL public settings. A person could theoretically be stopped, forced to remove their mask, searched and arrested. Even if they weren’t doing anything wrong. /7

A person wearing a respirator isn’t harming anyone. They’re not a risk to other people. In fact it protects the people around you in the event you’re sick & contagious. Criminalizing it makes no sense and is very much eugenics. Disabled & high risk people could die. /8

Perhaps if society & governments had taken Covid more seriously - we wouldn’t be in this mess. We’ve had 4 years to develop treatments for Long Covid and we’re no further ahead. We don’t have a sterilizing vaccine. We don’t have clean air & ventilation. So we NEED respirators. /9

Finally - I see a lot of people downplaying the threat this bill poses to marginalized individuals and POCs. Claiming that “even if” they’re stopped it will get sorted out in the courts. Thats a shockingly inaccurate and privileged point of view. /10

Being charged with a criminal offence is not some minor thing. It can have ripple effects throughout your life. You could lose your job, it could impact custody battles or background checks. Fighting legal battles is expensive & not everyone can afford to do it. /11

Not to mention the potential for someone to become injured or killed during an arrest. All because they were desperately trying to protect themselves and their community. Is this really where we want to allow the law to go? /12

If you’re chronically ill - with LC or any energy limiting illness - the act of being arrested is going to drastically alter your baseline. My MCAS is so bad that I need 1-2 weeks to recover from trips to hospital. Where I CAN wear my respirator & there’s excellent indoor air /13

If I were to be arrested & thrown in jail - even if just for a night - I would likely end up in hospital. Stress is bad for people like me - but I’m also susceptible to anaphylaxis from scents & chemicals. Jail would be exceedingly dangerous even without the threat of Covid /14

There’s many people like me out there - who will be forced to choose between risking Covid or incarceration. This is undeniably cruel. Wearing a respirator is an act of community care. You’re protecting yourself, those around you & your family. It should not be a crime. /15

If this is “payback” for mandates - the wrong people are being punished. Unfortunately I think it’s even more nefarious than payback … I think they’re pushing the eugenics envelope to see what they can get away with. People don’t care about the lives of disabled individuals /16

If this bill passes with minimal pushback from the population at large - it sends a message to the government that we’re expendable. That there’s no one left to stand up for us. That eugenics policies will not go unchallenged. Please don’t let that happen. /17

I usually try and end my threads on a hopeful note - but tonight I’m finding it very hard. I’m scared & hurt by what I’m seeing happen all over the world. It’s a bleak time for ALL disabled people. But I remain inspired by everyone fighting back & standing up for what’s right /18

It feels impossible & incredibly daunting - but even if unsuccessful it’s critically important to have our voices heard. To make sure other disabled individuals see people standing up for them. To make sure the government knows that we will not go gently into the night. /19

So keep fighting. Keep pushing back. Keep telling your stories. Personal experiences are so important to help people connect with our lives & understand WHY we are afraid. To help us gain allies. We are stronger together. /end