anti-masker

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An anti-masker is a person who is anti (opposed to, against) wearing various medical masks and other such face coverings to prevent the spread of disease, specifically COVID-19. Anti-masker began appearing on social media early in 2020, coinciding with the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States. The term anti-masker is influenced by anti-vaxxer, a disparaging term for people who distrust or oppose vaccinations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health experts have advised people to wear masks in public places and gatherings to help slow the spread of COVID-19, a disease caused by a highly contagious, airborne virus. Many governments have issued mandatory mask mandates in response.

But a lot of people refused to wear masks, and wearing them became hotly politicized. Some people were skeptical that masks work and believe the risks of COVID-19 have been overblown. Others rejected masks as an exercise of civil liberties.

Opposition to masks was notably exacerbated by President Donald Trump, who publicly downplayed the virus and undermined the necessity and effectiveness of masks, despite wearing one himself on some occasions.

As 2020 unfolded and the pandemic persisted, anti-masker spread as a term that people concerned about the coronavirus use to mock people taking the virus too lightly by refusing to wear masks. The term anti-masking is also used to refer to the stance opposed to masks or to protest groups who oppose mask mandates. Anti-masking also became associated with the slang term Karen following a series of viral videos showing white women vehemently rejecting masks in public.