North Carolina's anti-trans bathroom law is ridiculous, and this interview proves it.
Journalists really should take note.
In March, North Carolina passed a no good, very bad, anti-transgender law — but you might know that already.
Essentially, it requires trans people to use whichever bathroom corresponds with the gender listed on their birth certificate, which creates all sorts of problems.
Here's North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory.
It came in direct response to a Charlotte ordinance about to be enacted that would have actually protected trans people.
But sadly, most of the news coverage about the Charlotte ordinance consisted of news anchors simply repeating the anti-trans talking points.
And while the state of North Carolina received some major backlash after passing the anti-trans law, most journalists continued to present it in a "Who's to say, really?" kind of way.
Well, that stopped last night, when Megyn Kelly of Fox News interviewed North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory.
Finally! Someone was ready to directly address these issues. Kelly came away looking like a pro, while Gov. McCrory left flustered, clinging to his talking points about tradition and expectations of privacy.
Here are a couple of the highlights:
On the idea that allowing trans people to use the correct bathroom will somehow be a violation of privacy:
McCrory deflected.
On debunking the idea that transgender people are somehow more likely to be sexual criminals:
McCrory's response here? To deny the existence of trans people, saying that he doesn't "use that term." As we all know, if you don't say something aloud, it doesn't exist, right?!
Throughout this and other interviews, McCrory has said that his concern isn't about transgender people, but about "men" sneaking into women's restrooms and claiming they're transgender as an excuse (which, for the record, has never happened in any of the 17 states and more than 200 cities across the country that have trans-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances).
Good for Kelly for not letting him skate by on the usual talking points.
There was one thing Gov. McCrory was right about: This isn't an issue he started.
Anti-trans individuals have been murmuring about this for years. States and cities have tried and, at times, succeeded in passing laws designed to deny transgender people their basic human rights (everybody poops, right?). It's only in the spotlight of increased visibility — which, as this situation highlights, is a double-edged sword — that states have made this a national issue, painting trans people as sexual deviants and a danger to children.
We know what it looks like when trans people aren't allowed to use the correct bathroom, and it'd seem to be the opposite of what McCrory and other anti-trans individuals say they want.
Watching Kelly run circles around McCrory seems to indicate that just maybe this whole thing wasn't thought through.
Well done, Megyn Kelly. Well done.
Watch Megyn Kelly's epic interview with North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory below.
Megyn Kelly's epic interview
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An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids… 
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie? 
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Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."