Comments from Nancy Papas, lobbyist for Indiana State Teachers' Association.

Ed. note:Nancy Papas was a najor player in supporting the Equal Rights Amendment. An assistant to Senator Birch Bayh at the time of the ERA passage through Congress, she and ISTA and a few other "veterans" gave substance, respectability, and great advice and action to the novice ERA supporters. Here is her statement, dated March 19, 2010, in response to the question "Why didn't the ERA pass?"

"ERA was the victim of massive disinformation which scared off conservatives in both parties. The ERA had strong bi-partisan support in Congress. If Strom Thurmond could support the ERA, why not other conservatives?

Phyllis Schlafly built her nation-wide network of conservative women by raising false alarms about what it would do. Equal rights for women and men would not force everyone to use the same restroom, though most of us do that at home and on airplanes – just not at the same time – and we have survived very nicely.

ERA opponents charged that it would encourage women to have abortions, though no one could ever explain how. Virginia McCarty asked if that meant men would be able to have abortions too?

Fear clouds intelligent thought, and fear was the weapon of choice against ERA.

Fortunately, the successful efforts to pass legislation like Title IX and the civil and voting rights acts made America much more aware of discrimination of various sorts. Title IX alone has exploded educational opportunities for women students and made them much more able to compete in the market place.

When I first lobbied for ERA in the halls of the state legislature, a handful of women reporters and lobbyists were there and another handful of women legislators. Now it appears nearly half the lobbyists are women, and the voters have elected 32 women legislators and a female Lt. Governor. Both political parties actively recruit women candidates. Governors and Mayors appoint women department heads. Network and Cable News has women anchors. Television dramas feature women in occupations formerly reserved for men. Today’s little girls want to grow up to be CEO’s and company presidents rather than Cinderella.

We may have lost the ERA battle, but women are making real progress to win the war.

We had the help of many progressive women and men who celebrated, promoted, and were not fearful of legal equality of women.
In addition to you Beth, there was Virginia McCarty, Betty Blumberg, Mandy Wertz and Betty Williams, Jane Fribley, Jill Chambers, Sue Errington (who’s now in the State Senate), Laurie Scholl (and many others) plus ERA’s author - Birch Bayh – and state legislators Kermit Burrous, Tom Teague, Bob Fair, Phil Bainbridge, Cliff Arnold, Tom Fruechtenicht, Bob Hayes, and others.

The battle to help women and families gain their due continues to be sure, but extraordinary women throughout history found ways to survive, to raise their families, and to contribute to their neighbors and communities despite incredible obstacles. Fortunately, we were able to stand on the shoulders of them all.