The mainstream media has an unfortunate aversion to discussing the Equal Rights Amendment. Admittedly, the ERA had a chance to be fully ratified and failed to get the three remaining states needed in 1973. It’s not a fun subject.
We have Phyllis Schlafly and her campaign of lies and fear to thank—the woman who practiced feminism yet railed against constitutional equality for women. Her most powerful argument in the 70s was that women could be drafted. This scared many, and the warning severely halted progress in the last stretch, when the last three states were needed. The rest of the arguments she used against the ERA were typical anti-feminist propaganda. She said feminists wanted a gender-neutral society. WRONG. She scared a bunch of uptight, religious extremists with the idea we would have unisex bathrooms!!!!!! Oh, the horror!!! And if you think about it for twenty seconds, you realize how silly that is. The fact is, there are already unisex bathrooms in a number of businesses and it hasn’t made a difference in the roles men and women play in society or the way they view themselves. Most public restrooms are separate and will more than likely stay that way. Here is the truth: Women don’t want to be men. We want equality under the law. Let’s not confuse the nonsense with the reality.
A White House petition recently received more than the required numbers of signatures to get the President talking about this and we have not heard a peep from him.
Today, women can be drafted. It was recently decided that women can fight on the front lines in war, but they still don’t have constitutional protection if they are paid less than their male counterparts fighting right beside them. Women deserve equality more than ever for this reason alone.
The momentum slowed after Schlafly ruined it for the entire country, but that doesn’t mean we should just forget about it—unless you really enjoy the fact you’re not fully protected when it comes to rape, fair pay, sexual discrimination and many other social injustices.
Schlafly is conservative and her campaign to stop the ERA was a result of the feminist movement in the 60s and 70s. She chose to make equal rights for women a political and partisan issue. The fact is, all women of all parties benefit from equality.
The ONLY way we are going to get the ERA ratified is through a new grass roots movement. Word-of-mouth. We have the benefit of social media and we need to use it. A wonderful and FUN way we can spread awareness is by hosting a party, explain why it’s needed and how we can achieve it. Face-to-face, person-to-person, hands-on action is needed.
First, you’ll need to be armed with information and be prepared for people arguing that we don’t need the ERA and that the 14th Amendment is enough protection. Here are some links that will give you the information you need to successfully state your case and combat the common myths:
Why Do We Need The Equal Rights Amendment?
Who Needs An Equal Rights Amendment? You Do!
Print out these documents and share them with your guests. Make sure they also have the URL addresses of both links, so they can also share the information on social media. There is a plethora of information on the Internet about the ERA if you want more content.
Women who are thirty-five and older are easier to sell. Young women are the toughest because they don’t feel an urgent need for equality. They feel that women had the fight, it’s over and everything is great. For those women, I suggest this article: Are You a Woman In Your Twenties? Do You Know Your Rights Are Being Eroded? They are an extremely important demographic. They can make the difference in a short period of time if enough are fired up. News spreads fast on college campuses.
Once you’ve passed out literature and had some great conversations about the why of it, the focus needs to switch to the how of it.
Contacting local and state representatives is key. Find out who your senators and state representatives are and send them emails. Make phone calls. Ask them what are they going to do to ratify the ERA. Demand action. Do it more than once. Weekly or monthly emails are best. Imagine if politicians were inundated with women and men insisting we make this a priority. It isn’t a lot of work. It’s a few minutes of your time. Mark your calendar, copy and paste the same email you sent last month and send it again.
Peaceful protests by college students are another great way to get people talking. It takes some organization and a permit to protest.
You have it in your power to choose to make a small donation of time and effort for the advancement of equality. Will you??
Kimberley A. Johnson (BIO) – A.K.A. The Anti Coulter is the author of The Virgin Diaries and an activist for women’s rights. Like her on Facebook, Twitter or friend her on FB HERE. Check out her campaign to raise money for her next book on Women’s Rights and The Importance Of Voting
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