#strawban

[sexyawkwardgirl]

"We shouldn't. It's forbidden!" said Aron as he watched Xander flex and bend.

"But I know you like them extra-long," Xander teased. "It's only this one time. Put it in."

Aron loved the feel of it inside his mouth but felt guilty that he might be killing turtles. (https://amzn.to/2RYV4wq)

[backroombuzz]

President Trump's KAG 2020 Campaign Raised $500k Selling MAGA Red Plastic Straws

Last week, President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign trolled the Democrats #BanStraws idiocy by selling red plastic straws with "TRUMP" embolden on them.

Read the full article

[rip-thesystem]

re: straw ban

if your environmentalism works at the expense of people's welfare, it's not sustainable.

Disabled people rely on plastic straws and denying access to them will do more harm than good.

The straw ban also restricts disabled peoples access to public places, forcing us to stay isolated which is what we’ve ALWAYS fought against. 

If you are wondering what disabled people did before plastic straws, the answer is: aspirated liquids into their lungs, got pneumonia and died!

Quit putting the onus on Disabled people when it comes to the environment, we shouldn’t have to defend our rights to accessibility and to exist.

[jessicaoutofthecloset]

Sometimes the internet can be an upsetting place, especially when people disrespectfully disregard not just others’ opinions, but also their very existence 🤦‍♀️ I like to keep my online life a happy one and steer clear of any drama but I’ve been finding the arguments around the #strawban particularly painful since often they are at the expense of disabled people. “No one deserves the right to a drink when out- isn’t drinking when you’re out a luxury for disabled people anyway?” asked one commenter. Since part of my medical condition means I need to drink a lot more than average and also struggle to drink without a straw I can honestly say that no, it does not feel like a luxury. The horrible panic when you realise you’ve forgotten to bring your straws is no fun either! I’m so thankful for cafes and businesses who very kindly hand me a straw for a drink I haven’t even bought from them- but I’m scared for a day when they don’t. . HOWEVER... arguing online can be pretty pointlessly circular and wastes a lot of energy! So I want to make a short video that helpfully explains the reaction to the ban from the disabled point of view. Something that easily sums up the argument and can just be sent to someone when they start veering towards ableism... With that in mind, what are the key points that you would like to be included? . Dress- #truevintage Shoes- @qupidshoes . . . #JessicaOutOfTheCloset #babewithamobilityaid #disabledandcute #disneystyle #vintageclothing #pinuphair #pinup #vintage #retro #vintagestyle #vintagehairstyle #love #disneybound #ootdsocialclub #chronicallyfabulous #thatsdarling #crutches #vintageprint #fblogger #spoonies #lovelysquares #alltheprettythings #disabilityawareness #oldhollywoodglam (at Brighton)

[its-kks-world]

Heyo Solarpunks! Straws!

I hope this doesn’t come off as an attack or an overreaction, but I’ve already seen two posts in the tags that mention the #strawban, but I haven’t seen anyone talk about it from this angle.

Caption:(Tweet 1)  At a restaurant with grandma and they gave me a heavy glass filled with water, no straw... and I gotta cup it in 2 hands to avoid dislocations. Sigh. (Tweet 2)  Grandma jokingly said I better buy straws in bulk before they make them illegal here too. Lol... but also... omg can they stoppp??? (Annie Segarra)

Okay, so I’ve seen two posts in the Solarpunk tag that imply that banning straws is even a small step forward for the planet (granted the punchline of both was that people should do more than ban straws to help the environment), but let’s have a talk about this nonsense plastic straw ban.

The plastic straw ban is harmful to disabled people! A lot of them depend on plastic straws and we shouldn’t look over that. So I’m turning this into a teachable moment. 

Here are some starting points:

#StrawBan by Gullu Kandrou

A twitter thread by Kim Suader about the unhelpfulness of the straw ban (and people who jump behind)

The Last Straw by Alice Wong

Those should be a good start for understanding the ban and what’s happening.

Also:

Caption:  God, the ablesplaining about the #StrawBan pisses me off so much. STOP RECOMMENDING USELESS ALTERNATIVES TO DISABLED PEOPLE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT WE NEED. WE DO. Stop trying to be 'helpful', and fucking LISTEN. Stop recommending paper/metal/silicone/other straws. STOP. (Lily, BA (Hons) soon to be MSc)

I just want to make sure people know about this because Solarpunk that doesn’t consider everyone isn’t really Solarpunk.

[thesydneyfeminists]

Why #StrawBan is a Feminist Issue

By: Brittany L.

The Sydney Feminists

24 July 2018

The hashtag #StrawBan has been making rounds on the internet recently. The topic peaked on social media outlets earlier this month when Starbucks announced a plan to phase out plastic straws in its stores over the next two years (Click here for article) Other companies, including Hyatt and U.K based McDonalds, have also pledged to replace plastic straws with “ecofriendly” alternatives. Back in the US, cities such as Seattle and Miami Beach have already instigated city-wide plastic straw bans. New York, among other cities, is currently reviewing the legislative process for banning single use plastics. (Click here for article). The straw ban movement hasn’t made quite as many headlines in Australia, but that doesn’t mean Australians aren’t passionate about the matter. A few days ago, McDonalds announced its Australian stores would follow in the footsteps of their British and Irish counterparts. (Click here for article). The combined cultural and political influences of the US, U.K, and Australia will help determine the forward momentum of the straw ban worldwide. At first glance, the motivations behind the straw ban may seem harmless to many well-meaning environmentalists. However, when considering the consequences of the straw ban, most able-bodied people have either failed to consider or outright ignored the needs of people with disabilities. For thousands of people around the world, plastic straws are a daily necessity. Alternatives work for some people, but certainly not all people. The straw ban represents a much larger and sinister silencing of disabled voices and experiences. As such, it is a critical subject with which intersectional feminists (especially able-bodied ones) should be familiar.

The straw ban has gained particular popularity in environmentalist groups. Environmentalism has historically played an important part in shaping feminisms over the years, and vice versa. Ecofeminism is one example of how feminisms and the environment have been in conversation with one another for decades. And people with disabilities can be and are environmentalists as well. That’s to say, environmentalism and accessibility activism aren’t mutually exclusive terms. An article on Vox sums it up nicely, stating, “We can save the environment and still be inclusive toward the disabled community. Of course, disabled people share concerns about the environment … We’d like to see less plastics in the world too” (Click here for article). At the core of the straw ban predicament is the ease with which able-bodied people claim getting rid of plastic straws will “fix” the world’s plastic problem. On the one hand, plastic straws make up a miniscule fraction of the plastic polluting the ocean. One study suggests “46% of the mass of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch … is actually commercial fishing nets. Microplastics, on the other hand, make up 94% of the pieces of plastic in the area, but only 8% of the total mass” (Click here for article). On the other hand, a universal ban on plastic straws is not “easy” at all for some people with disabilities. Although cutting down on single use plastics like straws and plastic bags is a small step towards creating a more sustainable world, it cannot be done at the cost of disabled people’s lives and livelihood.

If you are looking for somewhere to begin learning about the straw ban, I suggest this article by RA Stone:(Click here). It’s a great resource for understanding exactly why plastic straw alternatives aren’t a universal solution. It also debunks a lot of common misconceptions about plastic straws and their alternatives, in addition to providing a list of responses (from people with disabilities) to arguments in favor of the straw ban. In a nut shell, Stone’s argument boils down to one short and succinct point: “The onus should not be on people with disabilities to prove or validate our need for plastic straws in order to have access to them. We are already marginalized and face dangers from people who don’t believe our access needs are legitimate.” Refusing to listen to or believe the lived experiences of people with disabilities is perhaps the largest problem surrounding the straw ban debate. A number of setbacks facing today’s activist groups really come down to people not listening to or believing other people when they speak on topics that directly affect their everyday lives. No single person can hope to be an expert on all forms of oppression or the myriad of ways said oppressions affect different individuals and groups. However, we should and can push ourselves to continue learning how best to help one another. In this case, it is imperative for able-bodied people to listen to people with disabilities. They are already telling us everything we need to know.

Accessibility is a crucial aspect for all feminists to study and incorporate in their day to day interactions. For those who would like to read more about disability rights and accessible activism, Autostraddle published an article on accessible activism last year that still carries relevance today (Click here for article). Unfortunately, many mainstream activist groups preach “safe spaces” without actually ensuring their spaces are inclusive and accessible for everyone. Instead, accessibility gets relegated to a subfield at best and entirely disregarded at worst. In an article for Medium, Emily Ladau reflects on how disability rights and accessibility were notoriously absent from the Women’s March on Washington early last year (Click here for article). She gracefully writes, “Why women with disabilities should be included in this section: The Disability Rights Movement is conspicuously absent in this introduction, and yet it’s a movement that, although not always cohesive, has been ongoing for decades. Just as other marginalized groups have fought against oppression, so too have disability rights activists.” The Women’s March was certainly not the only instance of feminists disregarding people with disabilities. It just happened to be one of the larger platforms in recent years. This is a crucial mistake in mainstream feminisms that needs to be carefully considered and remedied. Intersectional feminisms should always strive towards including and allying with all marginalized communities. The straw ban is a perfect opportunity for able-bodied feminists to ally with disabled communities and push back against the dangerous outcomes of a full legal ban on plastic straws.

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jul/09/starbucks-eliminate-plastic-straws-globally-2020

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jul/23/starbucks-straws-ban-2020-environment

https://www.bustle.com/p/8-issues-to-support-if-you-call-yourself-a-feminist-55196

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/03/05/12-issues-facing-women-feminism-sexism_n_6760390.html?guccounter=1

https://reason.com/reasontv/2018/07/17/plastic-straw-myths

https://mashable.com/2018/07/18/plastic-straw-ban-guide/#RInKRO2oiaq3

https://www.fastcompany.com/40580132/here-are-the-u-s-cities-that-have-banned-plastic-straws-so-far

https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/7/19/17587676/straws-plastic-ban-disability

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-25/the-problem-with-banning-plastic-straws/9689346

https://mashable.com/2018/07/16/plastic-straw-ban-people-with-disabilities/#zpb.zuCxiPqL

http://www.notsorryfeminism.com/2018/07/straw-bans-hurt-disabled-people.html

http://time.com/5335955/plastic-straws-disabled/

http://feministmonsters.com/plastic-straws-disability-pollution-environment-discrimination-alternatives-environment/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/07/12/plastic-straw-bans-are-the-latest-policy-to-forget-the-disability-community/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.315e9498734e

https://www.autostraddle.com/be-the-change-six-disabled-activists-on-why-the-resistance-must-be-accessible-368956/

https://medium.com/the-establishment/disability-rights-are-conspicuously-absent-from-the-womens-march-platform-1d61cee62593

[sunplix-cmh-light]

Reposted from @cpt_grw_lots No filter on this 🔥 #dosado starting to ripen #strawban not far behind. #weedgram #straightfire #dhnclones #marijuana #medicine #medicalkush #live #weedstagram420 #weedporn #420 #high #grower #ganjagirls #indoor #growyourown #stayhigh #lifted #cannabiscommunity #dank #kush #mj #scrog #weedphotography #weed #smoke - #regrann https://www.instagram.com/p/B_-PFsgpZmn/?igshid=bpsb6zajjmsq

[dandydoodlezart]

@wearehiatus #environmentallyfriendly #strawban #straws #plastic #pollution #waterpollution #globalwarming #environment #queerart #spoonieart #spoonielife #spooniesupport #disabledartist #disabilityawareness #mobility #illustration #art #digitalart #ableism #chronicillness #disability https://www.instagram.com/p/B8JVjqVA5jU/?igshid=kvcrlnn56v5p