Who was against the ERA?
Asked by: Estefania Metz | Last update: January 14, 2026Score: 4.7/5 (52 votes)
Schlafly became an outspoken opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) during the 1970s as the organizer of the "STOP ERA" campaign. STOP was a backronym for "Stop Taking Our Privileges".
Who opposed the Equal Rights Amendment?
Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist, organized opposition to the ERA and argued that it "would lead to women being drafted by the military and to public unisex bathrooms".
What were the arguments against ERA?
Schlafly made many bad-faith arguments against the ERA, including that it would dismantle financial support for women as legal dependents of their husbands and would lead to gender-neutral bathrooms, same-sex marriage, and women in military combat.
What was the ERA fighting for?
Three years after the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was initially proposed in Congress in 1923 in an effort to secure full equality for women. It seeks to end the legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other matters.
Why did some female reformers oppose the ERA?
The first Congressional hearing on the equal rights amendment (ERA) was held in 1923. Many female reformers opposed the amendment in fear that it would end protective labor and health legislation designed to aid female workers and poverty-stricken mothers.
7 Arguments Against the Equal Rights Amendment
What woman was against the ERA?
Schlafly became an outspoken opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) during the 1970s as the organizer of the "STOP ERA" campaign. STOP was a backronym for "Stop Taking Our Privileges".
Why hasn't the ERA passed?
An original seven-year deadline was later extended by Congress to June 30, 1982. When this deadline expired, only 35 of the necessary 38 states (the constitutionally required three-fourths) had ratified the amendment. The ERA is therefore not yet a part of the U.S. Constitution.
What is the ERA and why did it fail?
The equality rhetoric of the ERA and its proponents could not overcome the fears engendered by the campaign against its ratification. The sight of traditional women vocalizing their opposition to the amendment altered the political dynamic in enough states to cause the ERA's failure.
What was the ERA known for?
Griffiths is also known for resurrecting the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The ERA was a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that guaranteed equal rights under the law for Americans regardless of their sex. The ERA was first drafted in 1923 by suffragist Alice Paul.
What are the cons of the Equal Rights Amendment?
The main objections to the ERA were based on fears that women would lose privileges and protections such as exemption from compulsory military service and combat duty and economic support from husbands for themselves and their children.
What concerns motivated those who opposed the ERA?
The opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) stemmed from concerns such as the perceived undermining of traditional gender roles, potential exposure of women to military drafts, and potential loss of alimony and child custody for women, alongside beliefs that existing constitutional protection against ...
What should the 28th Amendment be?
California State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (AD-06):
A 28th Constitutional Amendment will give states the power to regulate firearms and protect the work that is being done to keep our families safe.”
How is the ERA different than the 14th Amendment?
The equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment was first applied to sex discrimination only in 1971, and it has never been interpreted to grant equal rights on the basis of sex in the uniform and inclusive way that the ERA would.
Why are people against ERA?
Today, most people who oppose the ERA appear to be motivated chiefly by concerns that it would strengthen abortion rights. But many still express concerns about single-sex spaces.
Who was fighting for equal rights?
Martin Luther King, Jr.
What states have not ratified the ERA?
The 15 states that did not ratify the Equal Rights Amendment before the 1982 deadline were Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.
Who was behind the ERA?
In 1923, on the 75th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention, infamous American suffragette Alice Paul held a second national convention to begin campaigning for a new constitutional amendment, one that would guarantee the rights of women. It was then that she proposed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
Who supported the Equal Rights Amendment?
Although the National Woman's Party and professional women such as Amelia Earhart supported the amendment, reformers who had worked for protective labor laws that treated women differently from men were afraid that the ERA would wipe out the progress they had made.
Was the Progressive Era successful?
Cities During the Progressive Era In the early 1900s, the United States entered a period of peace, prosperity, and progress. In the nation's growing cities, factory output grew, small businesses flourished, and incomes rose.
What is the Equality Act of 2024?
This bill, the Affordable Internet and Net Equality Act of 2024, would require the Department of Technology, in coordination with the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of General Services, to develop and establish the Net Equality Program.
How are the 18th and 21st Amendments connected?
Constitutional Amendments – Amendment 21 – “Repeal of Prohibition” Amendment Twenty-one to the Constitution was ratified on December 5, 1933. It repealed the previous Eighteenth Amendment which had established a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.
Should the ERA be added to the Constitution?
The ERA would clarify the legal status of sex discrimination for the courts, where decisions still deal inconsistently with such claims. The major advantage of a constitutional amendment is that it will require that legal challenges would be subject to an elevated standard of strict scrutiny.
What is the current status of the Equal Rights Amendment?
The Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed and introduced in Congress over 100 years ago. It has met the ratification requirements of the Constitution's Article V, but it has still not been certified and published as part of the Constitution.
What is the 27th amendment in the Constitution?
Amendment Twenty-seven to the Constitution was ratified on May 7, 1992. It forbids any changes to the salary of Congress members from taking effect until the next election concludes.
What was one reason why the Equal Rights Amendment failed?
The Equal Rights Amendment failed when its time limit expired before it could be ratified by 34 states; several states have also moved to rescind their previous approvals.