Equal Rights Amendment

The Problem

The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly guarantee that rights cannot be denied based on sex. While progress has been made, without constitutional protection, hard-won rights remain vulnerable to rollback. The ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 and has been ratified by 38 states—enough to become law—but faces legal challenges.

Our Solution

Complete the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment:

"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

• Pressure Congress to remove or extend the ratification deadline
• Support litigation to recognize the 38 state ratifications as valid
• Build public pressure for the Archivist to certify and publish the amendment
• Counter opposition campaigns spreading misinformation

The Strategy

The ERA is on the verge of becoming law—we need to push it across the finish line:

1. Legal strategy - Support litigation (Nevada, Illinois, Virginia v. Ferriero)
2. Congressional action - Pass resolutions removing the ratification deadline
3. Public pressure - Mobilize constituents to demand their representatives act
4. Counter misinformation - Educate public about what ERA actually does
5. State organizing - Prevent rescission attempts in ratified states

Why It Matters

• Explicit constitutional protection against sex discrimination
• Stronger legal foundation for equal pay, pregnancy discrimination, gender violence cases
• Protection against rollback of existing rights
• International leadership on women's rights and gender equality
• Nearly 100 years in the making—time to finish the job

Current Status

• 38 states have ratified (Nevada 2017, Illinois 2018, Virginia 2020)
• Congress passed ERA in 1972 with 2/3 majority ✓
• Legal challenges focus on arbitrary deadline imposed by Congress
• House passed deadline removal resolution; needs Senate action

Funding Breakdown

• 40% - Legal defense and litigation support
• 25% - Congressional lobbying for deadline removal
• 20% - Public education and grassroots mobilization
• 15% - Coalition coordination and rapid response

The Opposition

Opponents claim ERA would:

• Eliminate single-sex spaces (FALSE - ERA allows reasonable privacy distinctions)
• Require women in combat (ALREADY ALLOWED)
• Mandate taxpayer-funded abortion (FALSE - unrelated to ERA)

We need resources to counter misinformation and tell the truth.

Timeline

• Months 1-6: Intensive litigation support for pending cases
• Months 6-12: Senate lobbying for deadline removal resolution
• Year 2: Push Archivist to certify if legal barriers removed
• Ongoing: Defend against rescission attempts

100 years is long enough. Women and all people deserve explicit constitutional equality.