Why would someone oppose the Equal Rights Amendment?
Asked by: Ezequiel Kemmer | Last update: February 20, 2026Score: 4.8/5 (37 votes)
Opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) stems from concerns that it would eliminate legal protections for women, force women into military combat, threaten single-sex spaces (like bathrooms or sports teams), undermine traditional family structures (financial support, alimony), potentially mandate taxpayer-funded abortion, and create legal confusion, with opponents arguing the 14th Amendment already provides sufficient equality guarantees, according to {Link: History.com, Quora users, and The Heritage Foundation}.
Why would someone be against the Equal Rights Amendment?
Back in the 1970s, when state ratification debates were raging, conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly and others opposed to the ERA argued that it would require unisex bathrooms. Today, most people who oppose the ERA appear to be motivated chiefly by concerns that it would strengthen abortion rights.
What are the cons of the ERA?
Laws like the aforementioned Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay Act protect the individual rights of women and address the specific challenges women face. Another major argument against the ERA is that the ratification of the ERA would mean laws cannot be passed to protect men and women differently.
Who opposed the ERA Equal Rights Amendment?
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".
What are the main arguments for the Equal Rights Amendment?
The Equal Rights Amendment is needed in order to prevent a rollback of women's rights by conservative or reactionary political votes. The ERA will promote laws and court decisions that fairly take into account women's, as well as men's, experiences.
Why hasn't the Equal Rights Amendment been ratified?
What are the pros and cons of equality?
Pros and Cons of Equality and Equity
Equality ensures that everyone is treated the same, fostering fairness and a sense of belonging. However, it may overlook individual needs and circumstances. On the other hand, equity addresses the unique needs of individuals, promoting a more inclusive environment.
Why did the ERA fail to pass?
So, in 1982, the ERA fell three states short of ratification. Failure to reach the necessary 38 states in the 1970s was due to an anti-ERA campaign that dealt a significant blow to the amendment's bipartisan nature.
Who was a key opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment?
The primary figure for the ERA's opposition was Phyllis Schlafly and her STOP ERA organization. STOP ERA stood for Stop Taking Our Privileges Equal Rights Amendment. Schlafly held demonstrations before the legislature and rallied women to persuade legislators to oppose the amendment in strategic states.
Why did some women's rights activists oppose the Equal Rights Amendment Quizlet?
Some people believed that the Equal Rights Amendment would take away traditional women's rights.
Why did the Equal Rights Amendment fail in 1923?
Many reasons exist for the failure of the Equal Rights Amendment, most important, the inability of its supporters to realize the strength of the opposition. The conservative movement in the United States had been growing, partly as a backlash to the lesbian and gay and women's rights movements of the 1960's and 1970's.
What are the criticism of the Equality Act?
The Report's central criticism hinges on the argument that while the Act outwardly prohibits discrimination, its underlying structure and evolving interpretation, particularly concerning race discrimination, have led to unintended and detrimental consequences for UK workplaces and broader societal cohesion.
What are common arguments against women's rights?
- “Women and men have 'separate spheres'.” - “Most women do not want the vote.” - “Women's role is in local affairs.” - “Women are already represented by their husbands.”
What is the biggest problem in gender equality?
With the prevalence of gender discrimination, and social norms and practices, girls become exposed to the possibility of child marriage, teenage pregnancy, child domestic work, poor education and health, sexual abuse, exploitation and violence. Many of these manifestations will not change unless girls are valued more.
Why are Republicans against the ERA?
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". At the 1980 Republican National Convention, the Republican Party platform was amended to end its support for the ERA.
What was the primary purpose of the failed equal rights?
Eliminate all legal distinctions based on sex.
What would the legal effects of the Equal Rights Amendment really be?
It would guarantee that the rights affirmed by the U.S. Constitution are held equally by all without regard to their sex. The ERA would clarify the legal status of sex discrimination for the courts, where decisions still deal inconsistently with such claims.
Why were people against the Equal Rights Amendment?
The ERA would likely endanger women's equality. The reason is that the ERA would likely prohibit government from acting “on account of sex” and, therefore, from acting on account of or in response to sex inequality. Put simply, government would have to ignore sex, including sex inequality. Consider race.
Why did many people oppose women's suffrage Quizlet?
Some believed that. Other women believed that being given the right to vote would deprive them of time to take care of their families. Essentially, women's opposition to being given the right to vote was based on the prevailing gender roles of the time and some desire to maintain them.
Why did the Equal Rights Amendment fail to pass Quizlet?
Many Americans believed that equal gender treatment was a matter of changing attitudes, not creating laws. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) failed to be ratified by the needed 38 states because an anti-feminist backlash led by Phyllis Schlafly stirred sufficient opposition to stop it.
Why did the Equal Rights Amendment fail ratification?
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) wasn't ratified by the 1982 deadline primarily due to a successful anti-ERA campaign led by Phyllis Schlafly, who argued it threatened traditional gender roles, leading to fears of gender-neutral bathrooms, women in combat, and loss of financial spousal support, stalling ratification at 35 states, just three short of the required 38, with some states even rescinding their votes before the deadline passed.
What groups opposed the ERA?
The ERA also faced opposition from religious groups, especially Mormons, fundamentalist Christians, and Catholics. The ERA, they claimed, conflicted with God-given differences between men and women and disregarded traditional family and gender roles embedded in their religious beliefs.
Who led the opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment?
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Anti-feminist speaker and lobbyist Phyllis Schlafly led the opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment.
Why has the Equality Act not been passed?
The Equality Act would need at least 67 votes in the Senate, where Democrats have a slim majority, to overcome a filibuster. The bill failed to garner enough bipartisan support in the upper chamber after it was passed by the House in 2021, and the current version of the bill, introduced in June by Sen.
Did the Equal Rights Amendment actually pass?
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects the equality of rights under the law regardless of sex. While the ERA is fully ratified and was recognized by a US President as the law of the land, it has yet to be officially published in the Constitution.
What were the two failed amendments?
Congress then approved the “final” Bill of Rights, as a joint resolution, on September 25, 1789. But the 12 amendments didn't all make it through the state ratification process. And in fact, the original First and Second Amendments fell short of approval by enough states to make it into the Constitution.