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{{discrimlaw}}

{{discrimlaw}}

The '''Equal Rights Amendment''' ('''ERA''') was the informal name of a proposed amendment to the [[United States Constitution | United States Constitution]] passed by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states for ratification within a deadline of seven years.  It nearly passed but a conservative grass-rrots movement rose up and stopped it.  It never became law. The amendment, which was untitled, stated:

The '''Equal Rights Amendment''' ('''ERA''') was the informal name of a proposed amendment to the [[United States Constitution | United States Constitution]] passed by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states for ratification within a deadline of seven years.  It nearly passed but a conservative grass-rrots movement rose up and stopped it.  It never became law, primarily because it would have drafted women into the Army if men get drafted, and few women wanted that.

The amendment, which was untitled, stated:

:SECTION 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of [[sex | sex]].

:SECTION 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of [[sex | sex]].

:SECTION 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

:SECTION 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

 

The purpose of the Amendment was to prohibit many legal distinctions between men and women, and boys and girls.  An all-male draft or male-only combat regimens would presumably have become illegal.<ref>Anti-ERA Phyllis Schlafly quote</ref>  But equal representation of boys and girls on sports teams, and the termination of all-boys or all-girls sports teams, would probably not have been required, since the courts usually treat some gender distinctions as a ''bona fida operating qualification'' for which discrimination is allowed.

The purpose of the Amendment was to prohibit many legal distinctions between men and women, and boys and girls.  An all-male draft or male-only combat regimens would presumably have become illegal.<ref>Anti-ERA Phyllis Schlafly quote</ref>  But equal representation of boys and girls on sports teams, and the termination of all-boys or all-girls sports teams, would probably not have been required, since the courts usually treat some gender distinctions as a ''bona fida operating qualification'' for which discrimination is allowed.