Dear John,
It is outrageous that it has been over 100 years since the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)—which would make it illegal to discriminate based on sex—was first introduced in Congress, and that we are still waiting for it to be enshrined in our Constitution. Women and gender-diverse people, after all this time, still do not have equal protections under our Constitution. It's time to change that. Will you sign the petition to demand that Congress pass the ERA NOW?
Our champions in Congress—Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Cori Bush—have introduced a resolution that would affirm the ratification of the ERA and officially add it as the 28th Amendment.1 They said, "For centuries, women—particularly Black women, women of color, and LGBTQ+ folks—have done the work of preserving and defending our country, and it is long past time to make gender equality the law of the land."2 People tirelessly fought for the passage of ERA for more than 100 years because it is vital for our rights and freedoms—and we need to keep up the pressure and demand Congress do its job. The ERA must finally be recognized as the 28th Amendment.
It's been 50 years since Congress passed the ERA. And it's been over four years since Virginia ratified the ERA, pushing it over the required three-quarters state ratification needed for amendments to take effect. Yet Republicans in Congress continue to block its passage, disregarding the will of 85% of voters who support the ERA across party lines.3
Republicans in Congress are determined to roll back the fundamental rights of women, transgender, and nonbinary people—from overturning Roe v. Wade and criminalizing in vitro fertilization to blocking access to gender-affirming care and terrorizing transgender youth.4 They are concerned about what sex and gender protections under the Constitution might mean for their crusade to strip away our rights. And they should be, because what they are doing is unjust and unconstitutional. With congressional Republicans blocking its passage, we need to show the overwhelming public support for the ERA and demand it be passed THIS YEAR.
The U.S. is shamefully lagging behind when it comes to protecting against sex- and gender-based discrimination, a fact that even the United Nations has highlighted. Of the United Nations' 194 member states, 85% include gender equality provisions in their constitutions—but not the U.S. And in their most recent report to the U.S., the United Nations Human Rights Committee blasted the U.S. for its failure to protect women, transgender, and nonbinary people against discrimination, violence, and abuse—calling out how these failures disproportionately harm Black, Indigenous, and Latinx people, as well as immigrant women.5
Thanks for all you do.
–MoveOn
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