this week Nassau county passed a mask ban. this is a full ban, with a medical + religious exemption being tacked on (because cops can totally be trusted not to be assholes about it /sarcasm)
I watched the livestream of public hearing for the bill and it seemed like the legislature planned to pass it regardless. the people for the mask ban were almost all zionists, claiming that masks are akin to KKK hoods due to their usage in pro-Palestine student protests. hopefully I don't need to explain how ludicrous that is. people for the mask ban were allowed over and over to go over their allotted time at the hearing, and were allowed to heckle and harass those who were wearing masks.
mask ban laws are popping up all over the US. this is not a democrat vs republican debate, the Nassau county ban passed across party lines, and democrats have pushed mask ban bills themselves.
it is now more important than ever to stand with disability justice advocates and push back on the idea that "no one needs to wear a mask anymore," because it extends far beyond covid as well (although covid is STILL a really big problem and we are STILL in a pandemic).
