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Clay Aiken and Raven-Symoné talk to NC locals about the ‘bathroom bill’

Clay Aiken and Raven-Symoné talk to NC locals about the ‘bathroom bill’

Clay Aiken and Raven-Symoné teamed up on The View recently, as the two went up to North Carolina to talk to locals about their opinions on the HB2 bill–the “bathroom bill” that requires people to use the restroom that corresponds to their sex assigned at birth and prevents local governments from passing anti-discrimination ordinances.

At a diner in Sanford, the two found that the majority of individuals they spoke to opposed the bill, while around 30 percent “had concerns about sharing the bathroom with transgender people.” One man talks about a “slippery slope” and going with “what God’s given you.” Another woman comments, “It’s not big deal.”

Symoné did acknowledge that supporters of the bill were less willing to go on camera, but “a few were willing to share their views.”

In what’s probably the most eye-opening interview, the out singer and actress also spoke to Madeline Goss and Skye Thomson, two transgender individuals living in North Carolina. Goss says that people make her feel “as uncomfortable and unwelcome as they could” using the men’s restroom and now lives in “a climate of fear.”

 “If you really are an ally, you have to understand that a trans woman is a woman, a trans man is a man and they use the restrooms that corresponds to their gender identity.”

Thomson calls it dehumanizing, and horrible “to be a minority that people hate on and spit on all the time.”

Though NC legislators have come under more and more pressure for the anti-trans bill, there’s currently still a small window of change as House Speaker Tim Moore said they might “look at some tweaks.”

You can see Aiken and Symoné talking to locals and discussing their experiences in this clip:

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