Three Legendary Sexists Now Hold Power Over the Equal Rights Amendment
After 100 years, the fight for the ERA may come down to the actions of McConnell, Kavanaugh, and Trump
It is one of the great ironies of American history that the future of the Equal Rights Amendment now rests in the hands of three men who are famous for their misogynistic actions and policies. And yet, when you look back at the amendment’s long and complicated history, it’s hard not to conclude: Sounds about right.
Nearly 100 years ago, in 1923, legendary suffragist Alice Paul, herself now held up for having problematic views on the role of black and Jewish women in the movement, was coming off a victory in securing women (or rather, white women) the right to vote, which culminated in the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. The next step after “equal votes for women,” Paul thought, would be a constitutional amendment declaring men and women equal in all realms of life. This Equal Rights Amendment was introduced in Congress every year until finally, during the next big wave of feminist agitation half a century later, it was in 1972 passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. But to be added to the Constitution it needed to be approved by 38 of the 50 state legislatures by…
