Please join the movement to finally ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Attend the screening of Equal Means Equal, a documentary by Kamala Lopez, next Monday night in El Segundo California and find out how you can get involved.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, says:
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal rights for all citizens regardless of sex; it seeks to end the legal distinctions between men and women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and other matters. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman. The amendment was introduced in Congress for the first time in 1921 and has prompted conversations about the meaning of equality for women and men.
In the early history of the Equal Rights Amendment, middle-class women were largely supportive, while those speaking for the working class were often opposed, pointing out that employed women needed special protections regarding working conditions and employment hours. With the rise of the women’s movement in the United States in the 1960s, the ERA garnered increasing support, and, after being reintroduced by Representative Martha Griffiths (D-MI), in 1971, it passed both houses of Congress in 1972 and was submitted to the state legislatures for ratification.
Congress had originally set a ratification deadline of March 22, 1979. Through 1977, the amendment received 35 of the necessary 38 state ratifications. With wide, bipartisan support (including that of both major political parties, both houses of Congress, and Presidents Ford and Carter) it seemed headed for ratification until Phyllis Schlafly mobilized conservative women in opposition, arguing that the ERA would disadvantage housewives and cause women to be drafted into the military. Four states rescinded their ratifications before the 1979 deadline; however, there is no precedent or mechanism within the US Constitution for rescinding, and, thus, it becomes a legal question. In 1978, a joint resolution of Congress extended the ratification deadline to June 30, 1982, but no further states ratified the amendment before that revised deadline.
On March 22, 2017, the 45th anniversary of Congress’s submission of the amendment to the states, the Nevada legislature was the first to ratify the ERA after the expiration of the original deadline.
However, in 2018, we are working to finally ratify the Equal Rights Amendment once and for all. A documentary called Equal Means Equal offers an unflinching look at how women are treated in the United States today. Examining both real-life stories and precedent-setting legal cases, director Kamala Lopez uncovers how outdated and discriminatory attitudes inform and influence seemingly disparate issues, from workplace harassment to domestic violence, rape and sexual assault to the foster care system, and the healthcare conglomerate to the judicial system. Along the way, she reveals the inadequacy of present laws that claim to protect women, ultimately presenting a compelling and persuasive argument for the urgency of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment.
This documentary is being presented next Monday, March 19 at 7:30 pm at the Vistamar School in El Segundo, California. I urge you to attend and then join us in the Los Angeles South Bay area to help push for ratification. The film has strong content and strong language but a really important message. It is recommended for 8th grade and above students if your kids are attending. Tickets are available here.
Also please view the trailer. Click on the word Trailer below.
I have my ticket. Please join me on Monday evening, January 19.
Location:
Vistamar School Performing Arts Space
737 Hawaii Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
United States
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