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Responses to Arguments Against the Equal Rights Amendment

September 15, 2019 by Audrey Muck 1 Comment

Abortion:

“ERA has nothing to do with abortion” and “pro-life and ERA “do not conflict” (Rep. Steve Andersson of Illinois, a Republican, practicing attorney, and lead ERA supporter)
Ratifying a federal ERA will not change state law at all; so, it will not lead to any change in state laws relating to abortion. (Winston & Strawn LLP law firm)
“Over 300 pro-life laws passed in the last 8 years – most in states that voted for ERA” (Rep. Jill Tolles of Nevada, pro-life Republican who spoke in support of the ERA ratification)

Fear of Losing Rights for Women:

“I surveyed the past 45 years after 41 states had some form of ERA. Many of the fearful consequences have not nor will they occur.” (Rep. Jill Tolles)
Issues presented by conservative family coalitions around transgender and same sex bathrooms are not connected to the ERA. Rep. Steve Andersson states “none of which would happen under ERA and I can prove it to you.”
The government would still be able to draw a distinction based on sex if it passes “strict scrutiny”. Most of the laws we think of as benefiting women like social security regulations, estate laws, laws requiring child and spousal support are actually already sex-neutral. (Winston & Strawn)

Women already have enough protections

The 14^th Amendment and the 5^th Amendment do not apply to sex in the same way they apply to race or national origin. The result is that sex discrimination is viewed less strictly than other discriminatory acts (Winston & Strawn)
The US Constitution does not guarantee equal rights for women. The late Justice Scalia has stated, “Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only question is whether it prohibits it. It doesn’t.”

Republican Voices

Jill Tolles: Her vote for the ERA was made out of “gratitude and respect for countless others who fought for women to have an equal voice and equal value and for my daughters and the generations to come.”

Rep. Jim Durkin, Republican leader in Illinois legislature: Changed his vote to support the ERA because “I couldn’t do it to my daughter.”

Rep. Steve Andersson: “Republicans have to find areas that are good social advances.”

Compiled by Ann Von Brock, ERA-NC Alliance, 2019

Sources:
– Written Copy of Speech by Jill Tolles, 2017
– Public Speech by Steve Andersson to Arizona ERA, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftKIF9cV800&t=9s&fbclid=IwAR2JWhVSfIQrEYfSDbWfi9DKQUeS-RAFSBdk6r9c5CbVRIaf6MgQljEHXW4

Constitution Day Activities

August 18, 2019 by Audrey Muck 1 Comment

Constitution Day Billboard Campaign Sample Activities

House Parties

Show the film “Legalize Equality”
Discuss with guests
Give each guest a complimentary copy of a pocket Constitution
Have each guest sign one designated copy of a Constitution
Present the signed copy to your County Commissioners or City Council members and ask them to work to pass an ERA Resolution as a
Invite guests to join ERA-NC Alliance

ERA Resolutions

Legalize Equality Film

Business Placards

Identify businesses you frequent that are socially conscious
Invite management to download a placard identifying their business as Pro-ERA
Ask them to post the placard on the premises of their business
Take pictures of advocates in front of placard for social media
Invite business to join ERA-NC ERA Placards

Billboard Selfies

Locate your closest ERA billboard (Hint: they’re in Concord, Raleigh, Wilmington, and Greensboro)
Invite your BFFs to meet up
Take selfies of advocates with billboard in background
Post to Social Media – including our Instagram and Facebook pages!
Here’s where you’ll find them:
WILMINGTON, NC: 426 S. COLLEGE RD 0.1 MI NORTH OF RANDALL PKWY
CONCORD, NC: HWY 29-601 @ HARTMAN
GREENSBORO, NC: COLISEUM SOUTH OF WEST GATE CITY BLVD
RALEIGH, NC: I-440 0.4 MI WEST OF US 401/NC50 (S SAUNDERS)

Rock The ERA

Team up with local Girl Scouts
Propose Rock The ERA House Party as an activity for a badge or patch (Inside Government; Rock )
Collect and clean small
Paint “ERA” on the rock
Create a label that identifies troop, suggests selfies, has era-nc.org as URL and directions to re-hide rock for others to “find.”
Paste the label to the rock and use a seal to protect
Check local guidelines for rock painting/hiding parameters
“Hide” the rocks in plain sight throughout the local community for others to “find.” Rock Painting

Men4ERA White Ribbon Campaign

Enlist local men’s groups in the community to demonstrate their support for ERA
Declare a White Ribbon Campaign, have men pledge to wear white ribbons in advance of and on Constitution Day
Men’s groups advocate for the ERA by passing a resolution of endorsement Make Simple Awareness Ribbon

Put Women In The Constitution

Put your picture in the US Constitution #PutWomenInTheConstitution.
Download the US Constitution backdrop
Use Face generator to insert your picture into the back drop
Use the generator share button to post to social media US Constitution Backdrop for #PutWomenInConstitution

Face Generator

Sample ERA Round Inserted as Face

Constitution Day and the ERA

August 18, 2019 by Audrey Muck 3 Comments

ERA Billboard — Click to download high-resolution image.

Note to Press: you can also download the press release for this event.

The ERA-NC Alliance, AAUW-NC and NC NOW are launching a statewide ERA awareness campaign in advance of Constitution Day. Billboards, installed strategically across North Carolina (see locations below), will call for state ratification of the ERA. During the weeks leading up to Constitution Day on Sept. 17, advocates will promote ERA ratification with a series of activities, including an Instagram challenge.

The presidents of the three statewide organizations will jointly announce the campaign at a press conference August 22nd at 2 pm in the NC Legislative Building Press Room with state Sen. Floyd B. McKissick, Jr., and Rep. Carla Cunningham, the primary sponsors of ERA bills SB184 and HB271, respectively. Additional primary sponsors of the bills are Sens. Erica Smith and Terry Van Duyn, as well as Reps. Susan Fisher, Evelyn Terry and Julie von Haefen. You can watch the full press conference.

ERA bills SB184 and HB271 will continue to be viable until the end of the long General Assembly session. They are exempt from the crossover deadline.

Constitution Day is a federal holiday that recognizes the day the United States Constitution was adopted and signed by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17th, 1787; it also recognizes those who have become U.S. citizens. Federal agencies and all publicly-funded educational institutions are required to provide educational programming on the history of the Constitution on that day. This makes the day a perfect time to educate Americans that women are not equally protected under our constitution, and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment will remedy that dire situation!

“An all-male panel wrote our constitution,” said Marena Groll, co-president of the ERA-NC Alliance. “Equality was a problem right out of the gate, and it’s something that has eluded us for more than 230 years.”

An ERA bill was introduced in Congress in 1923, but not passed until 1972. The amendment was then sent to the states for ratification. By the controversial 1982 deadline, 35 of the necessary 38 states had ratified. The ERA movement re-ignited in 2017, challenging the legitimacy of the deadline as Nevada became the 36th state to ratify, quickly followed by Illinois as the 37th the following year. North Carolina has the historic opportunity to become the 38th — and final — state necessary to ratify the ERA to guarantee equal rights for women and men under the U.S. Constitution, and our state’s efforts are being followed nationally.

“We are very excited about the new billboards,” said Gailya Paliga, president of NC NOW. “We hope they spark interest in the ERA as a fundamental legal remedy against sex discrimination for women and men.”

“What an honor if North Carolina will vote to ratify ERA and be the final state to approve Constitutional protection of equal rights for all Americans,” said Jane Terwillegar, president of AAUW North Carolina.

Find a billboard near you! Snap a photo of the billboards – even a selfie with them if you can do it safely – and share it on our Instagram page!

Here’s where they are (you can also download the locations with maps and photos):

WILMINGTON, NC: 426 S. COLLEGE RD 0.1 MI NORTH OF RANDALL PKWY
CONCORD, NC: HWY 29-601 @ HARTMAN
GREENSBORO, NC: COLISEUM SOUTH OF WEST GATE CITY BLVD
RALEIGH, NC: I-440 0.4 MI WEST OF US 401/NC50 (S SAUNDERS)

Organizations and members are encouraged to organize and participate in events and activities in the march up to Constitution Day, Sept 17 and during that week of Sept.15 – 21. Here are a bunch of fun ideas to get you started!

Photos from the press conference on August 22:

2019 Board Member Elections

August 16, 2019 by Audrey Muck 1 Comment

Dear Members of the ERA-NC Alliance:

In advance of our Annual Meeting on October 5th, the Nominating Committee of the Alliance is seeking candidates for Directors for the 2020-2021 term (2 years). Any Individual Member or member of Lead Organizations who is in Good Standing according to the Bylaws may be eligible to be nominated as a Director.

You will find the Elections Process here, and if you need to update your membership status please visit our Membership Renewal or Join Us page. Please review these, share with anyone else who may be interested, and consider the following:

Would you like to be part of the ERA-NC leadership that is building upon the national momentum and working to make North Carolina the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment?
Are you willing to represent the ERA-NC Alliance, be visible in your community and in the state as an advocate for equal rights regardless of sex, and urge the NC General Assembly to ratify the ERA?
Are you willing to participate in monthly board meeting conference calls, serve on committees as possible, promote the purposes and objectives of the Alliance and help manage the business, property and affairs of the Alliance?
Would you consider an Officer position in the future? If so, which one(s)?

If you are willing to put your name in nomination for a Director, please submit an updated, brief bio to the Chair of the Nominating Committee, Virginia Adamson, by August 30th. (virginia.adamson@yahoo.com)

Please help recruit potential Officers and Directors for the Board by reaching out to your personal network. Those who are interested should be paid members of the Alliance and submit their brief bios by August 30^th as stated above.

Thank you so much for your membership with the Alliance. We are only as strong as the number of people willing to speak up and advocate for equal rights. 2020 will build on the momentum we have built in 2019 for the Equal Rights Amendment. We need significant energy and commitment to make the ERA a reality!

Virginia Adamson
Nominating Committee Chair

2019 Annual Meeting

July 2, 2019 by Audrey Muck Leave a Comment

You’re invited to attend the
ERA-NC Alliance Annual Meeting

Saturday, October 5, 2019
Noon – 4 pm
(Registration opens at 11:30 am)

Pilgrim United Church of Christ
3011 Academy Road
Durham, NC 27707
pilgrimucc-durham.org

Register for the Annual Meeting HERE.

Keynote Speaker: Kati Hornung

Kati Hornung is Campaign Coordinator for the state-wide, nonpartisan, grassroots VAratifyERA campaign working to ensure Virginia’s ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Her passion on the topic stems from her own life experiences and the interest of her two daughters in achieving constitutional equality. We are pleased to welcome her as our keynote speaker.

We will also celebrate our ERA Champion Award recipients, Joanna Wade, Partner with Winston & Strawn LLP and Julie von Haefen, NC Representative, District 36 (Wake Co.).

During our business meeting we will elect board new board members and review recommended by-laws changes. If you wish to be able to vote at the meeting, you must be a registered, dues-paid member by September 20th. You can easily join or renew your membership online. We are honoring the church’s request that no sales be conducted at the meeting, so we will not be selling t-shirts that day.

If you are interested in running for a position on the board, please review the call for candidates letter.

If you’d like to review the proposed bylaws changes, here are two documents to look at – changes within the full bylaws and proposed changes only.

We’ve arranged for group pricing at a nearby hotel for your convenience. When you register, just let them know you’re with the ERA-NC Alliance Annual Meeting group. Depending on participation, group pricing may end Sept. 20, so book now!

Comfort Inn University Durham/Chapel Hill
3508 Mt. Moriah Road
Durham, NC 27707
www.choicehotels.com/north-carolina/durham/comfort-inn-hotels

Stay tuned for more details!

June Action for the ERA

June 14, 2019 by Audrey Muck Leave a Comment

The Equal Rights Amendment Bills, House Bill 271 and Senate Bill 184, are still active bills since constitutional amendments are exempt from crossover deadline. In the next few weeks, please escalate personal visits, emails, letters, and calls with your elected representatives and senators in the NC General Assembly. It needs to be a face-to-face visit, individualized mailing, or phone call.

First, if your representative or senator is a Republican, please express your insistence that he/she must get the ERA Bills out of committee with a favorable report because women’s rights are foundational to this country.

Second, if your representative or senator is a Democrat, he/she is already a co-sponsor of the ERA Bills, so thank them and express your insistence that they all step up efforts to champion equal rights and push the Committee Chairs to get the bills out of committee with favorable reports. Contact your legislators even if you know they are supportive; we need to get them moving on this.

Third, ERA activities in May included the Great 38th Clothesline Spectacle on the Halifax Mall. At the event, we displayed ERA support resolutions and petitions that you and your teams collected from across North Carolina to show state wide support for Equal Rights. To reinforce the depth of ERA support by local municipalities, organizations and individuals residing in their legislative district, please personally deliver or email your resolutions/petitions to your legislators. Visit our resolutions page to find a copy of the resolution from your community.

Fourth, make a note of what you learn from your visit/correspondence and pass it along to us (info@era-nc.org). I will make sure that your information is recorded on our ERA Legislative Report Cards. The report cards will be used to calculate votes for ERA and to target potential yes votes for action. I am keeping report cards for each legislator. If you need any help or additional information, please let me know.

Let’s show our elected officials what persistence looks like!