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Dear JOhn, We are mightier than constitutional inequality. Women’s rights are under attack in the United States—from reproductive rights to protections against sexual assault and harassment. This is a constitutional crisis and the only permanent solution is the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) which would enshrine the rights of women and girls in the U.S. Constitution. Activists have been leading the charge on the fight to guarantee equality for women in the Constitution for over 100 years. Today, I want to share their stories with you. Kati Hornung Kati Hornung is Campaign Coordinator for the state-wide non-partisan, grassroots VAratifyERA campaign to ensure Virginia is the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Her passion stems from her own life experiences and the interest of her two children in achieving constitutional equality for women. “Our family got involved in Virginia's effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment because my oldest child wanted to correct the purposeful, historical exclusion of women from the Constitution. Equality is for all of us and with over 80% of Virginians supporting our ratification, I believe Virginia will be the 38th and final state needed to add these important words to our Constitution: equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex.” -Kati Hornung Senator Patricia Spearman In 2017, Senator Patricia Spearman led the fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in her home state of Nevada. She continues to be an essential part of the ERA movement at the federal level especially in advocating for the LGBTQ community and the protections the ERA could bring to all marginalized genders. “I am a woman. I am African American. And I am a member of the LGBTQ community. The discussion of equality is one I’ve been in all of my life...We're not talking about special rights here, we're talking about equal rights. People who were born in privilege always debate whether or not those of us who were not, deserve equality. Equality is not debatable, we are born with it. All we are asking is for it to be recognized.” -Patricia Spearman (D-Nev) Emilia & Rosie Couture The ERA is known for having an older supporter base but you’d be surprised how many young activists are taking up the cause, like sisters Emilia and Rosie Couture, ages 18 and 15. Rosie, a 10th grader, is the founder and executive director of Generation Ratify, the youth-led movement to ratify the ERA. Emilia is the outreach director of Generation Ratify and is a freshman at the University of Virginia. “We fight for the Equal Rights Amendment because we believe that youth are powerful and our voice is critical to advocating for this issue. It is ludicrous that constitutional protection does not exist for ALL genders, and we fight to protect our fellow Americans across the whole gender spectrum. The inclusivity, open-mindedness, and power that our generation brings are vital to equality that uplifts everyone.” -Emilia and Rosie Couture Movements take a village, and we all must contribute to the ultimate goal of equality. We are proud to work with these activists fighting for gender equality in the U.S. Constitution, and you are an essential part of that village, too. We cannot do this work without your support. 2020 will bring a once in a generation opportunity to deliver on a 100 year promise: full constitutional equality for women. Will you chip in to help fund our team of legal experts and grassroots partners to get it done?
In solidarity, Kate Kelly
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