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2024 A Look Back: Big Brother award

 North Carolina law prohibits filming people in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. File photo North Carolina law prohibits filming people in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. File photo

In May, Payton McNabb shrouded herself in the cloak of Big Brother when she took to a Western Carolina University bathroom to film an unsuspecting student

In a video posted by McNabb on X, an unidentified trans woman appears to be trying to leave the women’s restroom. As the woman is drying her hands, a voice (Big Brother) behind the camera asks, “What are you doing?” To which the woman responds, “Going to the bathroom.” 

Big Brother goes on to inquire why the subject of the video is in the girls’ bathroom.

The video, posted with the caption “A man using the girls bathroom at Western Carolina University. Unreal” had 295,000 views on McNabb’s X account as of May 14, and 15 million views on the Libs of TikTok X account.

While North Carolina law does prohibit filming people in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, like bathrooms, showers and dressing rooms, the law does not make it clear whether that expectation holds in the common area of a bathroom rather than a stall.

After some backlash, Big Brother defended herself and the intrusion saying, “I believe in everyone’s right to their own opinion, and I shouldn’t face punishment simply because I felt uncomfortable with a man being in our bathroom.” 

If hurt people hurt people, maybe scared people scare people, and maybe Big Brother is just a scared little girl.

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