MovieChat Forums > Mrs. America (2020) Discussion > The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

posted 5 years ago by ajr01 (53)
3 replies | jump to latest

I am in possession of a book written by Carol Felsenthal. A liberal Jew, writing for Chicago Magazine, it is entitled The Sweetheart of the Silent Majority, a biography of Phyllis Schlafly, published around the start of the eighties. It covers a number of aspects of her life, but honing in on her success in defeating the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), the crusade she has most been identified with, Felsenthal (a supporter of ERA) expounds on what she believes were a number of mistakes by feminists in trying to ratify the amendment, and how in the end, they actually succeeded in alienating a large number of women. From a look at a current available preview of the series before its release in April, it seems the it may touch on those aspects of the story. By the middle of 1982, when the deadline passed to ratify ERA, 35 of the necessary 38 states had ratified the amendment to be part of the US Constitution. Coming out of the Senate in 1972, by the end of 1973 however, 30 states had ratified the amendment. Between 1974 and 1977, only five more states ratified the ERA, causing Congress to extend the deadline for this, by another three years. But in addition to this, five states had also rescinded their ratification, by the final deadline. What explains this massive change of momentum, in the other direction? Clearly this was the result of a highly effective grass roots campaign, started by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972 known as STOP ERA, which Felsenthal in the book, tries also to uncover the secrets of its surprising success. ERA had a considerable number of influential financial backers, which in the end, seemed to be to its disadvantage. It will be interesting to see if the series gets into these issues.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2412) 5 years ago

also important to remember that 1) other amendments (13th 14th and 15th, 19th) did not have ratification deadlines....so that provision may be declared null and void.

2) 38 states now have ratified the amendment. This occurred after statues prohibiting sodomy were invalidated, after statues prohibiting same sex marriage were overturned. America in the 21st century is different in American 20th century.

Heterosexuals are still allowed to marry women can still take their husbands last names and still be stay at home spouses. We can also be speakers of the U.S. House, Secretaries of State and Presidential candidates too.

[–] ajr01 (53) 5 years ago

I was not critiquing contemporary feminism, or what has happened to the ERA, in recent decades. It may very well be in effect. The book I refer to was published in 1980. I was trying to draw attention to the phenomenon of how this was such a trendy, popular issue at the start, and then for some reason it quite dramatically lost steam, referencing some of the statistics I mentioned. I attribute this to Phyllis Schlafly's effective grass roots campaigning. Because in studies that have been written about this, Schlafly is the person who is given most credit by both friends & foes, for stopping the amendment in its tracks. It will be interesting to see if these issues are covered in the new television series.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2412) 5 years ago

it lost steam bc the very same changes she said the amendment would force were slipped into society one by one 'back door' before the amendment itself even passed and she...etc did not notice

this made it easier for VA legislature to pass it probably. Women are now in combat.....we have a U.S. Senator (Tammy Duckworth) who was in a combat position.

Even the earlier supporters were guestimating what the future would be like for everyone.