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On the first day of the 2022 Minnesota legislative session, over 200 ERA Activists gathered in the Capitol Rotunda to declare this Session the Equality Session. With signs, banners, and chants, folks from around the state celebrated Enactment Day of the federal Equal Rights Amendment and demanded that a state constitutional amendment be put to the voters this November. Top leaders spoke at the rally, including Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, Minority Leader Melisa Lopez Franzen, and a host of ERA bill Chief Authors. At the end of the rally, activists went to the House and Senate Chambers to welcome legislators back to work. The media covered the event well, with mentions in both major Minnesota papers, TV coverage and on radio. This rally was immediately followed by hearings of ERA bills in the house Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM where 2 ERA bills were then passed out of committee. Thank you to our outstanding volunteers who made this impactful rally happen. Thank you to our 27 cosponsor organizations - the largest contingent so far. And thank you to our marvelous speakers. Together we can and we will achieve equality!
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 PRESS ADVISORY For Immediate Release Contact: Suzann Willhite suzann@eramn.org (612) 554-4008 Betty Folliard betty.folliard@gmail.com (612) 868-3511 January 24, 2022 ERAMN Announces #Day1forERA Rally Saint Paul - ERA Minnesota (ERAMN, https://www.eramn.org) is holding a huge rally called #Day1forERA on Monday, January 31, 2022, at 11am in the Minnesota Capitol Rotunda. All are invited. Confirmed speakers thus far are: Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen, Senators Scott Dibble, Mary Kunesh, Jennifer McEwen, Sandy Pappas, Chuck Wiger, and Representatives Kristin Bahner, Kaohly Vang Her, Frank Hornstein, and Rena Moran. Cosponsors to date include: AAUW - Mpls, Alliance of Medical Graduates, Breaking Free, Education Minnesota, GenderJustice, GenERAtionRatify MN, Island & Discarded Women, Isuroon, League of Women Voters (LWV) - Mpls., LWV-MN, LWV-St. Paul, AFL-CIO MN, MN Move to Amend, MN Now, Minnesota Protests, MN Renewable Now, Mom's Demand Action MN, National Council of Jewish Women -MN, OneMN, RISE - Reviving Sisterhood, Rock What You Got, Save our Sons MN, transforming families, UniteWomen-MN, VH4Change, Women Winning, Women's March MN, This Thursday, January 27, 2022, the 28th Amendment becomes enforceable in the courts for cases based on sex discrimination, having been properly ratified by the 38 states on January 27, 2020 and thereby achieving all constitutional requirements to become the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution. As of that date, the two-year waiting period before final enactment specified in the amendment will have expired. Never in the history of this country has an amendment to The Constitution, having achieved all constitutional requirements set out by Article V (that is, adopted by 2/3 of Congress and ratified by 3/4 states) been stalled by an arbitrary time limit, until women’s rights were on the table. We’re done waiting. ERA Minnesota, along with 86 Business & Corporate Entities, 24 states, over fifty national Coalitions and Advocates for Equality & Women’s Rights, International Organizations, the United Conference of Mayors, a host of top Constitutional Law Professors and many others, is on federal litigation (https://VoteEquality.US/FAQ/Virginia-v-Ferriero) to ensure final enactment of the 28th Amendment. ERAMN's goal is to finally pass the long overdue ERA into our state constitution and enshrine equality for all in the US Constitution. We will showcase 11 ERA bills currently before the Minnesota Legislature and share the new ERA COMPLIANCE BILL being introduced this Session. Last year the US Congress passed a bill to rescind the arbitrary time limit that was imposed on women’s rights. Nationally, advocates’ energies are now aimed at the US Senate. And at the Minnesota Capitol, our goal is to declare this year the year to finally make Equality legal by passing our ERA legislation. We welcome the press to our #Day1forERA Rally. ###  ERA Minnesota is a coalition of advocates and organizations dedicated to ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) into our federal & state constitutions. Founded in 2014. The federal ERA simply states: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”
   What: ERAMN will be hosting a good old fashioned Summer Social with a potluck buffet, root beer floats, an outdoor screening of the short film "Legalize Equality", and a bonfire!
Why: In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Minnesota Suffrage Day (women getting the right to vote), and a look at the work still to be done. Where: 2150 Mailand Road E, St. Paul, MN 55119. (Note: It's a one-acre property at the end of a narrow dead-end dirt road. Look for parking signs before you arrive and then walk to the end of the road.) Time: 6 - 9 pm. Screening around 7:45 ish. Bonfire to follow. Food Note: We'll supply the hot dogs (all beef and veggie), condiments, chips and a keg of root beer - feel free to bring a side or dessert to share - or your own beverage if root beer isn't your thing :-) ! Cost: FREE -- but donations are always welcome! RSVPs are appreciated (for food planning) so click HERE to let us know you're coming! ERA MN President Emeritus Betty Folliard presented the Plenary Speech at the National NOW Conference.
You can view the view the opening presentation on the National Organization for Women's facebook page. Look for Betty's ERAMN Plenary Speech from 25:34 to 38:43. Betty Folliard, Rep. Rena Moran and Patty Mac also presented a workshop on how a ratified state supports the National ERA effort and how a state without an ERA is working to get one in their Minnesota state constitution. Next Friday, March 8th, ERA Minnesota announces our celebration of International Women’s Day #IWD2019 by hosting the 3rd Annual ERA Rally at the Minnesota Capitol Rotunda. The event will feature Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan along with top legislative leaders and ERA supporters, to spotlight the urgent need for an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in our state and federal constitutions.
Legislative leaders and thousands of activists from across the state are pushing to pass two initiatives currently in the Minnesota House & Senate: HF13 (Kunesh-Podein)/SF200 (Cohen) - a Minnesota ERA to the state constitution providing for gender equality under the law and proposing a constitutional amendment that will be added to the ballot in the 2020 general election for voters to decide; and HF71 (Moran)/SF208 (Pappas) - a resolution memorializing Congress to remove the words “June 30th 1982” that comprised the deadline imposed on the ERA federal legislation so the ERA it can be added to the U.S. Constitution when ratified by the last state. The Minnesota House is poised to pass both bills in the coming week. All attention and energies will then pivot to the Minnesota Senate to give the bills full and fair hearings to pass the ERA. WHAT: ERA Lobby Day & Rally at the Capitol WHEN: Friday, March 8th, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, Rally at 10:00 AM (Lobby your senator before and after the Rally) WHERE: Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda HOSTED BY: ERA Minnesota CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
ERA Bill Numbers: HF13/SF200; and HF71/SF208.  by Samantha Faye King We have come a long way since the infamous Stonewall riots of June 1969. All the way through the 60’s homosexual activity was not only looked down upon but completely illegal. This is what led to the need for safe spaces and eventual rise of activism. The first pride marches took place exactly one year after the Stone Wall riots on June 28th, 1970 in places such as Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. Slowly but surely laws began to change, homosexuality became legal, and more and more states legalized gay marriage, and communities and safe spaces grew stronger and in abundance.  Despite all of this progress, it does not mean the fight is over. Prejudice and hate still lurk around the corners. June 12th, 2016 in Orlando, Florida the tragedy that is the Pule night club shooting took place. 49 were killed and 43 injured. As uncomfortable as it is, we can not let events like this be put to the side or forgotten. However, that does not mean be shaken by fear. We are here to fight for a world where people can express themselves freely without such fears. Even where there is no physical oppression, mental oppression exists attaching guilt as well as a struggle of identity and self-acceptance to one’s sexuality. Many places, such as churches, fall into the habit of rejecting the LGBTQ community. Stripping them of a place of worship and implanting ideas of being unwanted and unforgivable. The mindset of ‘praying the gay away’ is a poisonous one that still runs rampant in today’s society, creating a bad reputation for both the LGBTQ community and the church itself. The stigma it’s created on members of the LGBTQ community continues to exist not only in the church and other places of worship, but outside as well. In fact the 2015 national youth risk behavior survey showed that 34% of LGBTQ students were bullied on school property, 28% of LGBTQ students were bullied through electronic means, and 13% of LGBTQ students did not go to school because of safety concerns.  Luckily, just because it is common does not mean it is exclusive. Several anti bullying programs have been created such as the Trevor Project (thetrevorproject.org), a suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth. Another example is stopbullying.gov which advocated ways to address bullying in educational setting as well as encourages the creation of Gay-Straight Alliances. More and more churches and other places of worship have also become openly accepting of the LGBTQ community and want to be a safe place for them. Below is a list of some examples of pro LGBTQ houses of worship within the Twin Cities area as found on the TCP website. Minneapolis Places of Worship Adath Jeshurun Congregation All God’s Children (A Metropolitan Community Church) Calvary Lutheran Church Compassion of Christ Catholic Dignity Twin Cities First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis First Universalist Church Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church Judson Memorial Baptist Church Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church Lutheran Church of the Christ the Redeemer Lynnhurst UCC Church Minnesota Congregation for Humanistic Judaism Oak Grove Presbyterian Church Salem English Lutheran Church Shir Tikvah Reform Jewish Congregation Spirit of St. Stephen’s Catholic Community St. Luke’s Episcopal Church St. Marks Episcopal Cathedral United Church of Christ University Baptist Church Westminster Presbyterian Church St. Paul Places of Worship Dayton Avenue Church Fairmount Avenue United Methodist Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Mount Zion Temple Pilgrim Lutheran Church Unity Church – Unitarian St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on-the-Hill Greater Twin Cities Spirit of Hope Catholic Church Our Lady of Celestial Fire Burnsville Presbyterian Church of the Apostles Golden Valley Spirit of Hope United Methodist Church Unity Christ Church of Golden Valley Lakeville Spirit of Joy Christian Church Mahtomedi White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church Minnetonka St Lukes Presbyterian Church Roseville North Como Presbyterian Church St. Louis Park Beth El Synagogue It is the goal of ERA MN to fight for the equal rights of all, so hopefully these resources will be found useful in creating a safer and more accepting environment. We hope to see you at Twin Cities Pride Festival on June 23rd and 24th in Loring Park in Minneapolis where you can find us at the MN NOW booth (R98 - near Harmon Place).  Fun Fact: As of a 2015 survey Twin Cities Pride is the 5th largest Pride festival in America based on google trends.
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AuthorERA Minnesota (ERAMN) is a coalition of individuals and organizations working to secure an Equal Rights Amendment to the State and Federal Constitutions. Archives
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