Seth Meyers explains Houston's anti-LGBT vote, debunks the transgender 'bathroom myth'

Seth Meyers takes a closer look at Houston's shooting down of an LGBT protection ordinance
(Image credit: Late Night)

On Tuesday, voters in Houston shot down a city-wide anti-discrimination ordinance adopted by the City Council last year, apparently swayed by charges from opponents that it would allow creepy men to walk into women's restrooms. Seth Meyers took a closer look on Wednesday's Late Night, especially at the claim that anyone of any gender could have used any restroom. "The idea is known as the 'bathroom myth," he said, and "the law had nothing to do with that."

Meyers also ridiculed the idea that women's bathrooms are a great place to see "booty," as one opponent said, noting archly that the last place you'd want to see "booty" is in a restroom, because "that's when the booty is busy." But "more importantly, the idea that you could go into a bathroom and do anything other than use the toilet is already illegal in Houston," he pointed out, and has been since 1972. "Now, it would be wrong to paint Houston as an intolerant city — it's not fair," Meyers said, noting that the outgoing three-term mayor, Annise Parker, is openly gay. "So how could a city that elected a gay mayor vote against this law?" He didn't have a great answer, just a joke about falling asleep in church, but he did end with a warning to gay rights advocates — and cartoonists. Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.