“Maybe some are reverse-virtue signaling? By wearing the mask, they are saying I am unvaxed and damn proud of it???”
That sounds totally wrong to me… I’m damn proud of being unvaxed, and I am damn proud of not wearing a mask.
Any reverse virtue-signaling I do is accomplished simply by telling anyone within earshot: “This whole covid reaction was stupid, and I’ve said so from the very beginning”.
Same here. During the height of this madness about a year ago, I made a big show of ripping the stupid mask off as soon as leaving a store requiring it. I got a kick out of the nervous nellies coming into the store as I was coming out unmasked. Some of them would literally recoil in horror at the sight of me.
Now the stores around here mostly have signs stating "masks encouraged" or "please wear a mask if you are unvaccinated" - if they have signs at all. I proudly walk in those places unmasked and if anybody ever asks me (they haven't yet), I will say "sure, I've been vaccinated."
Just don't have to tell them what I was vaccinated for.
Polio, rubella, tetanus...