A call to action for gender equality.

After almost a hundred years of tireless activism, we are on the verge of adding the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution. Now that the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates have flipped under Democratic control, they have the opportunity to be the 38th state to ratify the ERA. When they do, we need representatives in Congress to act immediately to extend the (unconstitutional, in Brian’s opinion) deadline set as a condition for its inclusion. 

While 2020 will mark the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, full women’s rights are currently not enshrined in our chief governing document. With the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, we add these words to the Constitution: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

This language will have a profound effect on all laws that are designed to explicitly and implicitly discriminate against women and people of all genders, by utilizing Section 2 of the amendment that states “the Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.” This is the call to action where we need representatives ready to draft an avalanche of gender equality legislation aimed at every aspect of our lives.

One such avenue is strengthening protections for reproductive freedom. It’s no secret that there’s been a tireless decades-long campaign to repeal Roe V. Wade. Even without the ERA, we need to have elected officials not only to vote on the side of justice, but to actively fight for the pro-choice protections. And that also applies to making sure all forms of healthcare is properly funded and accessible.

Brian is a firm believer in the protection of rights for all, in every corner of our society. Equal pay for equal work, paid parental leave, protections against sexual harassment, safe work environments, reclaiming our public spaces, decriminalizing sex work, education opportunities – our society has no hope of progressing forward as long as half of our population is being held back.