Erin

@cellhead

she/her

(Help, idk how to use this site and I'm too scared to ask)

Erin @cellhead9/12/2023, 6:31 PM

PolarBair @polarbair

PolarBair @polarbair9/12/2023, 5:12 PM

Frosty Faustings is not going to have a mask mandate, and I don't know how to feel about it

I'm frankly not in a position to travel to events further than the midwest. I'm also inclined to believe that event organizers are trying to do their best for the community, i.e. the event wouldn't be able to happen with a mask mandate, but is that even true? Do any states not allow you to enforce wearing masks besides like, Florida? Or have people decided that COVID is "over"?

All in all this sucks and doesn't give me hope for Combo Breaker. Should I just write off going to the US entirely at this point...

#fgc #covid

Erin @cellhead9/12/2023, 6:31 PM

"We STRONGLY RECOMMEND you not endanger the lives of everyone at the event, but don't worry, we won't require it"

#fgc #covid

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in reply to @polarbair's post:

quettatonia 👁️‍🗨️⚗️@quettatonia9/12/2023, 5:25 PM

the arguments i always hear are about "it's too hard to enforce now" which, i dunno, maybe? but shouldn't we still try? isn't the health of not only the FGC but also the community hosting them important? what about the families and friends that everyone goes back to?

what about people with health complications (like me!) or high-risk family members? should they just stop showing up to large events? it kinda feels like it! and that sucks!

i don't really know what to do about it as a non-organizer attendee besides complain at every opportunity. but it feels like the people that are actually thinking about COVID precautions are so few and far between now...

i went off a little bit but just wanted to let you know that i'm really feeling it too.

PolarBair @polarbair9/12/2023, 6:08 PM

nah you've got every right to be frustrated. It just feels bad because if things keep going this way there will be no events I can attend guilt-free. Even the good events in my area - GOML in Toronto, UMAD in Montreal - didn't require masks. At best GOML required either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test from <24 hours before.

@aggrocrag9/12/2023, 5:28 PM

Yeah this is really disappointing. I guess it was wishful thinking that people would hold firm to masking policies after there were a decent number of people tested positive after EVO. And last FF was quite crowded at times. This doesn't give me much hope for CB either.

EinAstonINARO @EinAston9/12/2023, 5:41 PM

As an immunocomprised person:

Yea this sucks ass 🙃

Edania @edania9/12/2023, 8:07 PM

Should I just write off going to the US entirely at this point...

It's a dangerous place for many crap reasons, but the risk of catching the plague (and subsequently suffering new disability) from those who are indifferent to others' suffering is alarmingly high.

Regnslöja @regnsloja9/12/2023, 10:19 PM

i think the simple answer is it would just add too much stress for the staff to argue about it with people nonstop. i def wouldn't volunteer to help run an event if i also constantly had to enter conflicts with people about masks. the amount of conflict would probably be higher now that most people don't wear them.

PolarBair @polarbair9/12/2023, 11:41 PM

I can respect this but if event organizers aren't going to be transparent about that, it feels more like they're saying "COVID is over". You can't say you care about health and safety and then say precautions are not required, and besides that Combo Breaker managed to uphold a mask mandate as a larger event.

Winter Fox @tenza9/15/2023, 12:54 PM

As someone that's new to the FGC, it was so encouraging last year that CB still required masking in spite of many people deciding "COVID is over". The fact that the nursing conference that shared space with CB had more lenient with masking requirements was quite alarming and indicative of how pervasive this attitude is. CB's masking requirement showed that there was at least one community that still valued the health of its attendees. On Twitter, a lot of people not even involved in the FGC used CB as an example of a community and organization that still valued common social well-being.

Or so I thought. Did people learn nothing from FanFest and EVO? Frankly this rests with the event organizers and their misguided beliefs. Boston Blue Beat still maintained a masking and proof of vaccination policy, even in July! COVID cases are going back up and we've got new strains too. I'm so disappointed to learn this about FF and hope that CB will maintain masking measures.