Dear John,

"How much longer should the women in this country wait to be afforded equal protection under this country’s founding documents?" —Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford

This week, we have big news to share with you about feminists’ decades-long fight to add the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On Monday, attorneys general from Virginia, Illinois and Nevada filed an appeal with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking a declaration that the ERA is now part of the Constitution. Last year, the former Trump administration had blocked recognition of the amendment after Virginia became the 38th and final state required to ratify.

As Ms. readers know, the fight to enshrine gender equality in the Constitution has been a long and arduous one. But in recent years, despite four years of the Trump administration fighting feminists at every turn, we have seen tremendous movement towards our goal—and now this lawsuit will require the Biden administration to act. 

We expect the Justice Department, under President Biden, to reverse Trump’s policy blocking the U.S. Archivist from adding the ERA to the Constitution—but if we’ve learned one thing in our nearly 50 year fight for constitutional equality, it’s that we cannot take anything for granted. 

Feminists are also working with supporters in the House and Senate to remove the ratification time limit that was placed by opponents of the Equal Rights Amendment in the preamble of the ERA when it was passed in 1972 by Congress. The House passed a Joint Resolution in March to remove the time limit, and the Resolution has bi-partisan majority support in the Senate—but a Mitch McConnell-led filibuster threatens to prevent a vote by the full Senate and could derail more than five decades of feminists’ work, marching, rallying and persevering for equality.

The Senate filibuster is not only blocking progress on the ERA, but is stopping passage of federal legislation for voting rights, to raise the minimum wage, reduce violence against women, deal with climate change, pass commonsense gun laws, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and increase access to reproductive rights and justice. So I encourage you to read our article diving into this ERA news, and then make your voice heard—let the Biden administration and your elected representatives know that you, like 8 in 10 American adults, support adding the ERA to the Constitution. 

Another exciting piece of news this week: College athletes have won a major Title IX victory! Last November, Clemson University announced a decision to eliminate the men’s varsity intercollegiate track & field and cross country teams at the end of the academic year due to “significant financial challenges” and concern about “the ability for long-term Title IX compliance.” In response, attorneys for both male and female athletes separately wrote letters to Clemson’s president challenging the decision and threatening to file Title IX class-action lawsuits. Their strategy worked! You can read more on MsMagazine.com. 

Finally this week, let me wish all of the moms and mother-figures reading this letter a very happy Mother’s Day! The Ms. team has put together a wonderful selection of Mother’s Day stories on the website this week—be sure to check them out below. We are also thrilled to release a special episode of our podcast, On The Issues with Michele Goodwin, this Sunday, featuring a number of wonderful messages recorded by our listeners for their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and the other amazing mother-figures who have made a difference in their lives. I was so moved listening to your many heartfelt submissions—and I can’t wait for you to have the chance to tune in, too.

For equality,

Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor