✊Support thread for people who are exempt from wearing masks 😷

[ExemptFromMasksSupporter]

Hi everyone,

How about a support thread for people who are exempt from wearing masks/face coverings for whatever reason?

I am not exempt and I am able to wear a mask when required so I am lucky in that respect because I do not have to endure the abuse that some people who cannot wear a mask are enduring.

I have seen two threads today (I’m sure there are tons of others) where the OP’s are being lambasted for not being able to wear a mask.
On one thread the OP has a lung condition which causes her to cough sometimes and she wears a mask until it becomes unbearable and needs an inhaler. The OP is clearly exempt but is fed up with the comments she receives when she doesn’t try and wear a mask.
On another thread the OP has both asthma and has experienced horrific sexual abuse resulting in PTSD. Therefore she cannot cover her face in any way with anything (mask, visor, scarf, etc) because it is understandably triggering. Or should I say most reasonable people would find it understandable. The OP has a hidden exemption and is often a target because of this.

Yes, mask exempt people could decorate themselves with lanyards and signs or even go a step further and have a t-shirt made listing their full medical history. But why should they have to? Why can’t they be given the benefit of the doubt?

Where is the compassion in some people? Why can’t some people just accept that we are not all the same and have different experiences in life?
What one person can cope with another might not be able to, I thought that was just common sense.

In my mind it is quite simple, nobody has the right to verbally or physically abuse someone because they are not wearing a mask. Bullying is generally classed as unacceptable in most places, why is mask exemption met with such hostility by some people? I just don’t understand it.

The examples of bullying I have heard of tends to be towards people on their own that don’t look like a threat and not so much towards burly looking people who seem like they could handle themselves in a fight. Just saying.

Can’t we just be kind to each other, if we can’t be kind can’t we just have a little bit of tolerance and if neither of those are possible why not just say nothing and move on? Why the tuts and why the nasty comments by some people?

We are all living through such stressful times, this pandemic doesn’t have to be made any worse.

Well done if you have reached the end of my ramblings. Thank you for reading and stay safe and well everyone.

@DianaT1969 Genuine disingenuity might be more accurate.

@rubywooooo

Well I'm asthmatic, take inhalers daily & I have no problems wearing a mask. I'm just curious as others with asthma state they can't wear one? Is your medication not superseding you're asthma like my medication does mine? Just generally curious that's all....

Because, strangely enough, not everyone's asthma is exactly like yours. Can you really not see that or have any empathy for people who have differing levels? Someone with mild asthma is very different to someone with brittle asthma, for example.

I struggle with masks because of my lungs (not asthma.) I start to go faint and my chest gets tighter and tighter because my lungs are already messed up. Is it that difficult to understand?

Again. So sad that this thread was started for support but ended up just another ableist thread in the millions of other toxic covid threads out there.

I'm done.

@Bamboozledandbefuddled - hmmm ok. That was worth posting.

@rubywooooo - Please go away I am asking nicely.
This is a support thread I really don’t think that is a difficult concept to understand.
Please will you go elsewhere and ask your ‘curious’ questions and post your videos on another thread, take your pick. There are so many like minded people (sadly) on MN that you can chat shit to. How many more of your posts do you want deleted before you start to understand that some of your opinions are offensive and very much unwanted here? Thanks.

@Madhairday - I am sorry to hear you feel you are done with this thread. I support you and I think the majority on this thread do to

@Evenstar

Sorry to see the usual suspects turning up here as well. I would just like to say that I was treated with real kindness at a shop today, I was hesitant to go in with my lanyard but the lovely lady beckoned me in and had a chat. I think the people who berate us for not wearing masks don’t realise how sad and anxious you feel, I have excluded myself from so much since masks became compulsory, and if the lovely lady hadn’t beckoned me in I wouldn’t have gone in a non essential shop at all.

I am so pleased to hear of your positive experience today. I little bit of kindness goes a long way. Thank you for sharing this.

For me it's the humidity that makes me feel like I'm struggling for air, so I take a deep breath... more humidity... I take another... it's worse, then the thing's pulled off my face and every non essential item of clothing is off and I'm panting for breath and going into hyperventilating.
By the end of the fist aisle in the supermarket.

The visor is better, but as the weather changes, it's getting harder to regulate temperature differences and clothing to keep comfortable. It's still a relief to feel fresh air on my face after.
The bulk of a coat also gets in the way.

The DCs' swimming lessons are in tier 2, possibly about to become tier 3. Swimming changing areas have always been one of my worst places for humidity/ sensory overwhelm/ claustrophobia anyway. I don't even attempt to use the visor there and just try to be extra careful about distancing.
I don't want my DCs to be held back because of my issues, particularly as swimming is so valuable with DS1's dyspraxia.

@ExemptFromMasksSupporter thank you for your kindness. I really appreciate it. I would so love a safe thread to talk about these things and just got really sad that people couldn't keep their opinions to themselves on something that's supposed to be a support thread. Thank you for caring

I am usually okay with masks but it depends how my asthma is treating me. I also swim regularly which means I'm used to highly controlled breathing which helps.

But unsurprisingly, asthma attacks aren't caused by a lack of oxygen, they are triggered and then cause a lack of oxygen. If it was a lack of oxygen that caused asthma we'd all only have problems if we decided to climb mountains.

Hugs to everyone. I had bitchy comments directed near me the other day when I was having a bad asthma day and couldn't cope with it. I couldn't resist a loud comment to my shopping companion about people who make rude comments about people staying at home and how people might not have appreciated it if I hadn't been able to go to the hospital to do my essential planning work during the pandemic (where, notably, there was no requirement for me to wear a mask because it was recognised I couldn't do that all the time and thus worked in a space where I could social distance accordingly). Rude of me but then they were rude too.

When I say usually okay, I mean for the 5-10 mins I usually spend in a shop, but I am actively avoiding anywhere that requires wearing for long periods*

@rubywooooo - You completely ignored the part where I asked you nicely to go away. I meant it.
It doesn’t matter what you refuse to believe. You seem incapable of trying to understand any view which doesn’t align with your own.
This is a support thread and you are not being supportive. I repeat please go away and find another thread to post on with like minded people, sadly there are many on MN currently for you to choose from 👋🏽 👋🏽 👋🏽 🚪

Sorry those emojis don’t appear to have worked very well, that was waving you goodbye and showing you the door rubywooooo just to clarify.

@rubywooooo - You are not entitled to be here. I started this thread as a place of support for people who are exempt from masks. You continue to ask your ‘simple questions’ interrogating people who have clearly stated they are exempt for various reasons. Some of these reasons are incredibly distressing due to violent sexual abuse and chronic health conditions.
I have reported a number of your posts and many others have to. Please take the hint.
I will not engage with you further, I will just continue to report any of your posts which I feel break MN talk guidelines. Goodbye.

I wear a mask when I'm out on my own. I don't wear a mask when I am out with my young DS. He has SN and is Deaf and needs to lip read.

Do people really think for the sake of carers/companions with him being able to wear a mask he should learn how to go about not lip reading and, I don't know, learning to hear or something? Perhaps if he starts slowly and builds up to it he could do it. Also, some people know some other people who are deaf and they don't need to lip read. In other countries he wouldn't be allowed out of the house as they're not snowflakes like him. Maybe he should stay at home and not go out, after all there is online shopping etc, and of course we could homeschool and he doesn't need any friends.

Do people genuinely think like this? Or perhaps they think, oh lip reading and deafness, that's a proper disability and/or reason and that's OK, but I judge other reasons as not good enough - and I'm going to come on MN and say that and make myself look, well a bit fucking stupid really.

There are exemptions for a reason. They are written into the guidelines, as is the fact people should be "respectful" of others and the fact there are exemptions. Questioning, haranguing and judging people are (ironically) the ones breaking the guidelines. So I suggest you have a think about it, stop it and you'll have the added bonus of not making yourself look stupid, as well as disablist while pissing other people off.

Did you miss DawnMumsnet's post ruby? Here it is:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4057341--Support-thread-for-people-who-are-exempt-from-wearing-masks?msgid=101092877

@rubywooooo "Like I said I'm trying to understand so can any of you clarify if you have 'tried' to wear the mask indoors to build up to the usage?"

Well thank you for illustrating my point so nicely. I'll PM you my address so you can come help advise on how to start the process of my DS building up to the usage of face masks by not having to lip read and not being deaf. Does that clarify it for you or are you still struggling with that as a concept?

(I really should wear a mask for the reason that if you said something as unintelligent to me in RL, my DS wouldn't be able to lip read my response and learn new rude words )

@DawnMumsnet

Thank you for posting. I know there will be so many deletions here it will be like Swiss cheese soon but I think it could be such a helpful thread (and thank you too @ExemptFromMasksSupporter for starting it) so I wanted to say I would prefer it not be taken down as sometimes happen when they kick off!

Also, will people with multiple deletions for being disablist/personal attacks be suspended or banned the way FWRers are if we are judged to break the guidelines?

@rubywooooo did you read my post?
Yes my DS has tried very hard not to be deaf. He tried to build up to it in small doses and around the house.

Didn't work.

Sorry about that.

I know it's hard for you to understand. Poor you. I genuinely feel a bit of pity for you. And a little bit of embarrassment.

[quote ThickAsFuckingMince]@DawnMumsnet

Thank you for posting. I know there will be so many deletions here it will be like Swiss cheese soon but I think it could be such a helpful thread (and thank you too @ExemptFromMasksSupporter for starting it) so I wanted to say I would prefer it not be taken down as sometimes happen when they kick off!

Also, will people with multiple deletions for being disablist/personal attacks be suspended or banned the way FWRers are if we are judged to break the guidelines? [/quote]
Thank you for posting. I would also like to know the answer to your question, re: will people with multiple deletions for breaking the guidelines be suspended or banned? I have often wondered this.

"If YOU want to waltz around a supermarket I'm in hassle free you should be prepared to answer my questions to help me understand WHY you are entitled to put everybody in there at risk ?"

Also, you're making yourself look extremely fucking thick as well as disablist, ignorant and small minded. Have a fucking word with yourself.

@rubywooooo

Please answer my question?