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North Carolina Lt. Gov.: Bathroom Discrimination Law Like the Americans With Disabilities Act

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest claimed North Carolina's bathroom discrimination law was “a bill of reasonable accommodation,” comparing the discriminatory law to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest (R) on Friday defended his state’s discriminatory bathroom law, HB 2, during the conservative Values Voters Summit in Washington, D.C. Dan Forest / YouTube

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest (R) on Friday defended his state’s discriminatory bathroom law, HB 2, during the conservative Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C.

North Carolina’s HB 2 bans transgender people from using restrooms in public facilities and schools in accordance with their gender identity, among other restrictions.

Forest claimed the law was something “we had to do” in response to an “unconstitutional law, an unconstitutional ordinance” passed in Charlotte. The state’s HB 2 overturned a local non-discrimination law passed by the Charlotte City Council. 

“That’s pretty extreme, isn’t it,” Forest said, referring to the nondiscrimination law. “That boys, high school boys, are supposed to shower with high school girls. That middle school boys are supposed to go in the locker rooms with middle school girls.” 

He claimed HB 2 was “a bill of reasonable accommodation,” comparing the discriminatory law to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination and advances efforts for equality in employment and housing for those with disabilities, and requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for them.

Congress “said to provide reasonable accommodation for a small minority of people who have real handicap issues who need to get in and out of your building … and that’s what we did,” Forest said. 

“That’s what HB 2 did as well. It said, you need to provide reasonable accommodation for people who are fearful of walking into public bathroom facilities that fear for their safety. You need to provide a single stall lockable facility for them to go in, and listen, that’s reasonable accommodation,” Forest continued.

North Carolina’s discriminatory law relies on the myth of the bathroom “predator”—something Forest spoke about in his summit speech—and falsely suggests that anti-discrimination efforts meant to protect transgender people endanger women and children.

Forest’s remarks expanded to the “the agenda” of those who oppose the state’s discriminatory law. He said opponents were trying to wage a political battle in a “battleground state,” pointing to the “tight election,” which includes the gubernatorial race and seats in the state’s Republican-held general assembly