A few weeks ago I wrote a thread about North Carolina’s proposal to ban medical masks & remove the existing medical exemption. I was concerned they were removing it as strategy - so they could put it back later & act like they were doing the disability community a favour. 🧵/1“Later” has arrived. The Senate passed the revised bill with incredibly problematic language. It “allows” medical masks for the purposes of avoiding spreading a communicable disease. It permits medical & surgical masks … we don’t know if respirators like P100s will be allowed /2We also don’t know whether you will be able to wear a mask to avoid CATCHING a disease. This language is purposefully vague and sounds as though you have to already BE Covid positive in order to mask. /3Medical exemptions are extremely problematic in that they put undue burden on disabled individuals. We must get a medical note that not everyone can afford or access - and then if questioned by law enforcement may have to unmask while they assess the validity of our exemption. /4Covid can infect in seconds - if you’re immune compromised you can’t take that risk. Medical exemptions also ignore the fact that disabled people don’t live in a vacuum. We have family, friends and caregivers who need to mask to avoid bringing Covid home to us. /5And what about people who need to mask to avoid pollen, chemical scents or wildfire smoke? They won’t be able to under this new bill. This bill effectively discourages ALL masking - during an airborne pandemic (with another pandemic looming). It WILL cost lives. /6Masks are politically unpopular right now - even though they should never have BEEN politicized. They’re a medical tool that’s needed in an airborne pandemic - especially now that other tools have been dismantled. Making them illegal is discriminatory & furthers ableist agenda /7Perhaps the most problematic part of the bill is the language that states that any member of the public can request you remove your mask. Best case this means private owners may ask you to remove mask for identification purposes. /8Lastly - hospitals are public places. So if any owner of a public or private business can demand you remove your mask or refuse you service - does this mean we could theoretically be forced to abandon our PPE to access healthcare? /11We’ve seen increasing hostility towards mask wearers for years - with many saying they wish they could “rip the mask off our face”. While this bill doesn’t make physically removing someone else’s mask legal - it comes awfully close by allowing people to demand we de-mask /10Worst case anyone in public could legally start harassing and haranguing someone until they take off their mask. Imagine if we passed a law that allowed someone to demand another person abandon their wheelchair? Or a mobility device? We can’t let this happen. /9The mere possibility of forcing someone to forgo protection in a hospital is a terrifying example of how far we’ve fallen. Our rush back to normal has vilified disabled & high risk ppl so much that most of society are fine with us not being able to access medical care /12I urge everyone to call their local officials and tell them they won’t stand for the banning of medical masks with or without an exemption. If you don’t live in North Carolina you can still call and say you will never visit or spend a dollar in the State if this bill passes /13We should ALL be pushing back because if this passes it’ll end up in other States - and it will embolden those who seek to harm ppl who are still masking and/or disabled. It’s going to further divide & segregate society along health lines - a very slippery slope into eugenics /14We need to say “enough is enough” and demand that we retain a critical tool to keep ourselves safe from COVID and other diseases. We all share the air - if we care about the quality of that air we will be healthier & happier. /15Get loud, work fast and don’t stop putting pressure on lawmakers - together we can make sure those in power know that we’re done falling by the wayside. Done being treated as less than. Done being denied safe access to public spaces. We’re a large group & we CAN turn the tide /16I’m not American and have never been to North Carolina - but this is something I’ve been fiercely advocating against because I think it’s important for people all over the world. If this passes (especially without opposition) it’s precedent setting & dangerous for everyone /17H/t @dontwantadothis for copy of the bill in its current state. It’s NC HB 237. The vote is expected tomorrow at 2pm. There’s still time to call, email & keep up the pressure. If you can mask & are choosing not to - put a mask on in solidarity. We can do this!

A few weeks ago I wrote a thread about North Carolina’s proposal to ban medical masks & remove the existing medical exemption. I was concerned they were removing it as strategy - so they could put it back later & act like they were doing the disability community a favour. 🧵/1 ... “Later” has arrived. The Senate passed the revised bill with incredibly problematic language. It “allows” medical masks for the purposes of avoiding spreading a communicable disease. It permits medical & surgical masks … we don’t know if respirators like P100s will be allowed /2 ... We also don’t know whether you will be able to wear a mask to avoid CATCHING a disease. This language is purposefully vague and sounds as though you have to already BE Covid positive in order to mask. /3 ... Medical exemptions are extremely problematic in that they put undue burden on disabled individuals. We must get a medical note that not everyone can afford or access - and then if questioned by law enforcement may have to unmask while they assess the validity of our exemption. /4 ... Covid can infect in seconds - if you’re immune compromised you can’t take that risk. Medical exemptions also ignore the fact that disabled people don’t live in a vacuum. We have family, friends and caregivers who need to mask to avoid bringing Covid home to us. /5 ... And what about people who need to mask to avoid pollen, chemical scents or wildfire smoke? They won’t be able to under this new bill. This bill effectively discourages ALL masking - during an airborne pandemic (with another pandemic looming). It WILL cost lives. /6 ... Masks are politically unpopular right now - even though they should never have BEEN politicized. They’re a medical tool that’s needed in an airborne pandemic - especially now that other tools have been dismantled. Making them illegal is discriminatory & furthers ableist agenda /7 ... Perhaps the most problematic part of the bill is the language that states that any member of the public can request you remove your mask. Best case this means private owners may ask you to remove mask for identification purposes. /8 ... Lastly - hospitals are public places. So if any owner of a public or private business can demand you remove your mask or refuse you service - does this mean we could theoretically be forced to abandon our PPE to access healthcare? /11 ... We’ve seen increasing hostility towards mask wearers for years - with many saying they wish they could “rip the mask off our face”. While this bill doesn’t make physically removing someone else’s mask legal - it comes awfully close by allowing people to demand we de-mask /10 ... Worst case anyone in public could legally start harassing and haranguing someone until they take off their mask. Imagine if we passed a law that allowed someone to demand another person abandon their wheelchair? Or a mobility device? We can’t let this happen. /9 ... The mere possibility of forcing someone to forgo protection in a hospital is a terrifying example of how far we’ve fallen. Our rush back to normal has vilified disabled & high risk ppl so much that most of society are fine with us not being able to access medical care /12 ... I urge everyone to call their local officials and tell them they won’t stand for the banning of medical masks with or without an exemption. If you don’t live in North Carolina you can still call and say you will never visit or spend a dollar in the State if this bill passes /13 ... We should ALL be pushing back because if this passes it’ll end up in other States - and it will embolden those who seek to harm ppl who are still masking and/or disabled. It’s going to further divide & segregate society along health lines - a very slippery slope into eugenics /14 ... We need to say “enough is enough” and demand that we retain a critical tool to keep ourselves safe from COVID and other diseases. We all share the air - if we care about the quality of that air we will be healthier & happier. /15 ... Get loud, work fast and don’t stop putting pressure on lawmakers - together we can make sure those in power know that we’re done falling by the wayside. Done being treated as less than. Done being denied safe access to public spaces. We’re a large group & we CAN turn the tide /16 ... I’m not American and have never been to North Carolina - but this is something I’ve been fiercely advocating against because I think it’s important for people all over the world. If this passes (especially without opposition) it’s precedent setting & dangerous for everyone /17 ... H/t @dontwantadothis for copy of the bill in its current state. It’s NC HB 237. The vote is expected tomorrow at 2pm. There’s still time to call, email & keep up the pressure. If you can mask & are choosing not to - put a mask on in solidarity. We can do this!