Changes

The House of Representatives had passed this Amendment by a 354-24 margin.  The Senate had passed it by a margin of 84-8.  Both political parties (Republican and Democratic) favored it; all presidents until Ronald Reagan supported it; and the media strongly backed it.  Ted Kennedy, a U.S. Senator who has been the most powerful Democrat for over 40 years, pushed for passage of ERA.  Its ratification by 3/4ths of the states (38 states), as required to amend the Constitution, seemed inevitable.

The House of Representatives had passed this Amendment by a 354-24 margin.  The Senate had passed it by a margin of 84-8.  Both political parties (Republican and Democratic) favored it; all presidents until Ronald Reagan supported it; and the media strongly backed it.  Ted Kennedy, a U.S. Senator who has been the most powerful Democrat for over 40 years, pushed for passage of ERA.  Its ratification by 3/4ths of the states (38 states), as required to amend the Constitution, seemed inevitable.

The ERA would have required drafting women just like men; forcing taxpayer-funded abortion just like medical care for men; mandating same-sex marriage (can't discriminate "on account of sex"); ending special Social Security benefits enjoyed by widows; and eventually eliminating male and female restrooms in public facilities.  The courts could enforce ERA almost any way it liked due its open-ended and superficially appealing language.  ERA would shift the entire field of family law and marriage from state and local levels to the federal government, and to the federal courts where judges are not elected and are appointed for life.  ERA would prohibit single-sex programs and classes, particularly in public schools.

The ERA would have required drafting women just like men; forcing taxpayer-funded abortion just like medical care for men; mandating same-sex marriage (ERA says no discrimination "on account of sex"); and ending special Social Security benefits enjoyed by widows.  The courts could enforce ERA almost any way it liked due its open-ended and superficially appealing language.  ERA would shift the entire field of family law and marriage from state and local levels to the federal government, and to the federal courts where judges are not elected and are appointed for life.  ERA would prohibit single-sex programs and classes, particularly in public schools.

It was up to a handful of conservative women to stop it.  They met in a hotel near Chicago O'Hare airport on July 7, 1972, to discuss political strategy, and one woman proposed naming their movement "Stop Taking our Privileges" or simply "STOP ERA."  The name stuck.

It was up to a handful of conservative women to stop it.  They met in a hotel near Chicago O'Hare airport on July 7, 1972, to discuss political strategy, and one woman proposed naming their movement "Stop Taking our Privileges" or simply "STOP ERA."  The name stuck.

At the beginning, the momentum was too great to halt.  By the middle of 1973, 30 states had ratified the so-called "Equal Rights Amendment."  But then some states began to hold legislative hearings to consider the pros and cons of the amendment, and the tide began to change when the arguments were out in the open.

At the beginning, the momentum was too great to halt.  By the middle of 1973, 30 states had ratified the so-called "Equal Rights Amendment."  But then some states began to hold legislative hearings to consider the pros and cons of the amendment, and the tide began to change when the arguments were out in the open.

After 30 states passed it in 1972 and 1973, only 3 passed ERA in 1974.  Just one passed it in 1975, none in 1976, and only one in 1977.  That brought the total to 35, just three shy of the 38 needed for ratification.  Meanwhile, the states of Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee and South Dakota were persuaded they had made a mistake, and they passed laws nullifying or rescinding their acts.  Congress had set a deadline of 1979 for ERA to pass, but then changed its own deadline and reset it for 1982.  STOP ERA activists said this was as unfair as the losing side in a basketball game adding another period to the game clock so it would have an extra chance to catch up and win.  The deadline finally passed in 1982, and ERA had failed to be ratified; the U.S. Supreme Court disposed of a legal case by saying the issue was now "moot" because the deadline passed.

After 30 states passed it in 1972 and 1973, only 3 passed ERA in 1974.  Just one passed it in 1975, none in 1976, and only one in 1977.  That brought the total to 35, just three shy of the 38 needed for ratification.  Meanwhile, the states of Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee and South Dakota were persuaded they had made a mistake, and they passed laws nullifying or rescinding their acts.  Congress had set a deadline of 1979 for ERA to pass, but then changed its own deadline and reset it for 1982.  STOP ERA activists said this was as unfair as the losing side in a basketball game adding another period to the game clock so it would have an extra chance to catch up and win.  The deadline finally expired in 1982, and ERA had failed to be ratified; the U.S. Supreme Court disposed of a legal case by saying the issue was now "moot" because the deadline passed.

The defeat of ERA helped elect a conservative president, Ronald Reagan.  In the one and only debate between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, held less than two weeks before the election, Jimmy Carter raised his support of the ERA at the end of the debate in his final attempt to embarrass Ronald Reagan, who opposed it.<ref>http://www.debates.org/pages/trans80b.html</ref>  Reagan then rebutted Carter's arguments and won the election in November 1980.

The defeat of ERA helped elect a conservative president, Ronald Reagan.  In the one and only debate between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, held less than two weeks before the election, Jimmy Carter raised his support of the ERA at the end of the debate in his final attempt to embarrass Ronald Reagan, who opposed it.<ref>http://www.debates.org/pages/trans80b.html</ref>  Reagan then rebutted Carter's arguments and won the election in November 1980.