Equal Means Equal’s Virtual Vigil event to “Pray for the ERA”* on October 8^th was a powerful and successful event that reached thousands of Americans across the country and overseas with the urgent message that the U.S. Supreme Court must take up the issue of women’s equality and certify the ERA.

[*Please note: We use the word “prayer” as it was originally defined: “pray” – precari-Latin; to ask earnestly; address a solemn request; or to wish or hope strongly for a particular outcome or situation. This was a non-denominational event; many faiths and belief systems participated and for that we are very grateful.]

This past Thursday evening a large group of ERA supporters and activists gathered together online, lit candles and prayed for the certification and adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment. We heard from legislators and attorneys working on the case, including EME’s Legal Counsel Wendy Murphy and Arlaine Rockey lead author of the Amicus Brief supporting our lawsuit. They answered important questions about ERA viability, the importance of the upcoming elections, the legislation to remove the deadline in the Senate, and the strategy for women, should our government, by way of the Supreme Court, continue to refuse us basic human equality.

Despite the horrific health situation, EME believes that pressing the U.S. Supreme Court to take this case and treat it with exigency is an urgent matter.  Nothing is more urgent or more important to women as a class than obtaining a ruling from the highest court in the land acknowledging their hard-fought victory in the century-long struggle for basic constitutional equality and fully equal protection of law. 

The lack of gender parity in leadership is, IMHO, why we find ourselves in the multiple messes we are in ecologically, economically, globally, philosophically and, most importantly, morally. *Removing women from these high-level decision-making spaces in society has an adverse effect on our morality.*  I am speaking as a social observer looking at the impact that women bring to the areas where they have some sort of voice.

* Before I get dozens of angry emails accusing me of intolerance and small-mindedness, I would like to share the definition of morality that I am employing here: principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. In fact, the improper confluence between morality and religion, as concepts, has done a great disservice to the U.S.A.  Adhering to moral behavior must cease to be incorrectly interpreted as religious imposition on those with a secular belief system. Moral behavior is simply the optimal survival behavior for the human species, developed over millennia in its attempt to work together to create civilization and elevate the common good.  If we cannot distinguish right from wrong or call attention to improper actions and behavior by our government, by corporations or by individuals, we will be unhappily untethered from human history and what it has taught us until now. Hence the rise of the irrational and harmful tribalism we are presently experiencing.

In fact, we have to look no farther than EME Partner and personal mentor, Senator Patricia Spearman’s first female-majority legislature in Nevada to see that YES there is no doubt that increasing women in politics increases policies that are more humane and more holistic in their approach to solving society’s problems. The kinds of intransigent social issues that have been previously relegated to the margins are pushed to the forefront and quickly solved, across party lines.

Women are the majority of the U.S. population and are also best-equipped to provide solutions to the majority of its problems

So far there has been no word on whether or not the Justices have decided to take up our case, EQUAL MEANS EQUAL, et al V David Ferriero.  We expect news soon and will update you when we hear anything.

Please share the link to the vigil with your networks and explain how important it is that Americans are aware of this fight for women’s legal equality, coming to a head during a pandemic and an election, a fight that affects all of our lives and those of the generations to come.

Thank you, as always, for standing by us as we fight shoulder-to-shoulder with you for our mutual equality, across sex, genders, races, religions and national origins.  We have come so far – we must fight just a bit longer and push through to nail this victory down.

Women are now equal under the Constitution.  Let’s see this reality adopted and enforced.

Thanks and love,

Kamala, Natalie, Thila, Rebecca and the EME Team 

PS: Your generous tax-deductible contributions are an investment in our results-driven organization on the frontlines of the fight for equality. Any amount is greatly appreciated, but for donations of $500 or more we’ll send you our exclusive (and very popular!) handmade Equal Means Equal hoodie as a special thank you.