The Equal Rights Amendment was meant to guarantee protection to women. After Congress passed it 1972, the states failed to ratify it. Now the ERA needs one more state to become law. Could it be Utah?
If you think the U.S. Constitution guarantees equal rights to women, think again. The Constitution doesn’t even mention women. The Equal Rights Amendment was supposed to fix all that. But after Congress passed the ERA in the early 70s, it fell short of the 38 states needed for ratification. And the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints played a huge role in stymieing the amendment. Today, the ERA needs just one more state to become the law of the land. Could Utah be that 38th state?
Guests:
- Neil J. Young is an independent scholar and the author of We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics.
- Kate Kelly is an attorney working with the group Equality Now to see the ERA fully ratified.
- Sara Vranes is a midwife and an activist. She's also co-director of Mormons for ERA.