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• 1 2023-04-25T19:35:42+00:00 Backlash To The Equal Rights Amendment 12 plain 2023-05-07T14:52:24+00:00 Just as the Equal Rights Amendment came with supporters, it also brought in a pool of disagreements. Since it's proposal, disagreements over the ERA have expanded to include many different political and cultural topics. 

  Initial Disagreements: 

  Initially, the Equal Rights Amendment gained support from middle-class women seeking more protections under the constitution. However, those who were opposed to its ratification were generally of lower-class working women, labor unions such as the American Federation of Labor, and even Eleanor Roosevelt and other New Dealers. Believing that it was targeted towards middle-class women, those who were opposed agreed that working-class women needed government protection and that the ERA would eliminate those protections. They also feared that the amendment would weaken the male-dominated labor unions - which were a key part of the New Deal coalition during the Roosevelt presidency. 
   

  Early 1960's Disagreements: 

  The Equal Rights Amendment, however, did not gain significant recognition until the early 1960s. With that recognition also came greater opposition from new groups. Various conservative groups and individuals saw the Equal Rights Amendment as a threat to traditional gender roles and family structures. Many opponents even argued that the amendment would force women into subscription to the military and eliminate legal protections for women such as child custody and alimony.
  
  Leading the opposition, Phyllis Schlafly, a well-known activist, was the chairwoman of STOP (Stop Taking Our Privileges) ERA which worked to halt the ERA from becoming a constitutional amendment. She repeatedly held protests and speeches in front of multitudes of crowds. Her philosophy argued that women's rights were already protected under the Constitution and that the ERA would strip women of these rights and undermine the idea of family. Consequently, on Wednesday, June 30th, 1982–the day the ERA was set to expire–opponents of the ERA, led by Phyllis Schlafly and her “Eagle Forum,” held a reception at The Shoreham Hotel celebrating their successful campaign to halt the ratification of the amendment. To this day, Congress has not extended the deadline to ratify the ERA, setting up a legal fight in the courts. 
  
  

  Modern-Day Backlash: 

  Today, the Equal Rights Amendment has been embraced by various groups ranging from the LGBTQ+ to women's rights. After Dobbs v. Jackson's Women Health Organization (2022), a constitutional right to an abortion no longer exists under "privacy" and therefore, many states have moved to enact legislation that would prohibit the procedure. Many opponents today argue that the ERA has grounds to add a "right to an abortion" onto the United States Constitution. They also argue that the addition of the ERA would serve to expand LGBTQ+ rights in the constitution. 
• 1 2023-03-21T19:58:20+00:00 Phyllis Schlafly 6 Biography for Phyllis Schlafly plain 2023-05-01T14:42:37+00:00
  Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1924 - Phyllis Schlafly was a prominent conservative figure who led a successful campaign against the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. She was known for her opposition to feminist ideals, abortion, and gay rights and for promoting "family values" as a cornerstone of conservative politics.
  
  In her early life, Schlafly attended a catholic high school, went to Washington University, and then attended Harvard University for her Master's degree. She then joined the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute and published her book: "A Choice Not an Echo".  
  
  Regarding the Equal Rights Amendment, Schlafly gained recognition for her efforts in stopping the ratification of the ERA through her campaign, "STOP ERA." She claimed that the ERA would take away privileges and benefits that women currently enjoyed, such as an exemption from mandatory military service, the "dependent wife" clause granting widows social security benefits, and preference in custody battles given to mothers. Schlafly's influence on American politics, particularly with conservatives, continues to be felt to this very day.