Dear John,

There should be no deadline on gender equality.

Just this week, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment — the ERA — which is momentous, because now the required three-quarters of the states have ratified, affirming that our right to be equal should finally be explicitly set out in our Constitution.

But guess who’s getting in the way? The Trump administration, of course. Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is claiming that even though 38 states have ratified, the ERA can’t become part of the Constitution because Congress imposed a deadline on state ratification that expired in 1982. But gender equality doesn’t have an expiration date. That’s why we’re asking Congress to make this clear by lifting the deadline on ratifying the ERA.

The fight to ratify the ERA is part of the larger fight for gender justice. And at this crucial moment — when so many of us are fighting so hard for the promise of a more perfect union — it would be so powerful to have our Constitution plainly declare that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”

Members of Congress can ensure the ERA becomes a part of our DNA. They can lift the deadline on ratifying the ERA. And they can make the promise of gender equality real by passing laws that advance equal pay; eliminate restrictions on abortion and expand access; protect working people and students from sexual harassment and violence; end sexist and racist discipline policies that target girls in schools; ensure fairness for pregnant workers; raise the minimum wage, including for tipped workers; and build a better child care system, a fairer tax code that supports women and their families, and a health care system that comprehensively addresses health disparity, including the maternal mortality crisis. Tell your members of Congress to act now to advance equality and support the ERA!

Sincerely,