WATCH: Seth Meyers Calls Out the Ridiculous Campaign Against Houston's Equal Rights Law
Seth Meyers made a mockery of the absolutely ridiculous—and sadly successful—campaign against a citywide nondiscrimination law that failed to pass in Houston, Texas yesterday. The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance would have made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, age, ethnicity, marital status, and a host of other traits. But opponents of the law focused most on protections it provided LGBT— and more specifically, transgender—people. And by "focused," I mean they convinced voters the bill would allow sketchy dudes to skulk around in women’s bathrooms.
That’s completely untrue, of course, but say something enough times, and make it a catchy enough soundbite, and it becomes the truth. Meyers reviewed some of the scaremongering propaganda used by conservative opponents to the bill, including a really badly drawn cartoon depicting a bald man with eyeshadow making his way toward a women’s restroom.
“First of all, shout out the poor artist who had to draw that shitty cartoon,” Meyers said to audience laughter. Mocking its creators’ thinking, the host continued, “We want it, to like, look like a dude who’s barely trying to look like a lady, but you can totally still tell he’s a dude."
Meyers pointed out just how convincing this manipulation of the facts turned out to be, citing one Houston resident’s statement that the sole fact he knew about the law was that it let men declare themselves women and then “go into the bathroom to see...booty."
“You know, I've never been in a woman's restroom, but I'm guessing the booties aren't just out for everyone to look at,” said Meyers. “And if they are, I'm pretty sure you're doing something wrong. Also the restroom is the five minutes of the day you don't want to see the booty. That's when the booty is busy.”
Check out the video below for more of Meyer’s hilarious takedown, which includes him (rightfully) calling Mike Huckabee a creep:
