The Sky Should Be the Limit!

All people – girls AND boys, women AND men – should have the opportunity to reach their full potential without barriers – including systemic gender discrimination.
 
As much as we want to believe that all people are treated equally, we know that this isn’t true.
 
One way to address this is by guaranteeing equal protection under the law. This can be done by securing amendments to both the Constitution of the United States AND to the Minnesota Constitution that simply state:
“Equality of rights shall not be
​denied or abridged on account of sex.”
One of the most important reasons the ERA is needed is because discrimination based on gender is NOT treated with the same importance as other forms of discrimination in the court system.
Consider what former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia said:
"Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only issue is whether it prohibits it. It doesn't. Nobody ever thought that that's what it meant. Nobody ever voted for that," said the famously conservative justice, adding, "If the current society wants to outlaw discrimination by sex, hey we have things called legislatures, and they enact things called laws.”
-- emphasis added by ERA MN
We have laws in Minnesota and federally against discrimination. But as we’ve seen lately, laws can be overturned by a simple majority in Congress or any state legislature, meaning the only way to protect our rights is to pass an amendment to the constitution to secure gender equality is protected under the law.   [Find out why the ERA is still important​.]

Hold your candidate accountable -- find out where they stand on the ERA!  And let them know how you feel.

Get Involved!

Find out the position of the MN House candidates in your district and let them know that YOU support having equal rights be guaranteed in both Constitutions and that you want them to support it too.
​
How To Get Involved:

Find Your Candidates 
  • To find out who is running in your district and if they support the ERA, look at the spreadsheet below. 
  • If you don't know your district check the MN "Who Represents Me?" page.

Contact Them!
If their position is:  
  • Unknown – call or send an email to ask them and let us know!
  • Yes - they support the ERA, call or send them a message thanking them for their support.
  • No - they do NOT support the ERA, tell them why YOU DO. And let them know their lack of support affects who you vote for. 

Join Us!
  • Become a member of ERA Minnesota by signing up below!
  • Come to a meeting or event to get involved.
  • Check our Calendar for more info and meeting/event dates.

Candidates:  ​What's their position on ERA?

Check this table to see what your candidate's position is -- then contact them to
  1.  Find out where they stand (if Unknown).
  2.  Let them now if you agree or disagree with them.
We have asked every 2018 MN Legislative candidate of their position on ERA. 
​We will update this form as we hear from them. 
​(Last updated Sept. 12, 2018)
Candidate Responses
Best viewed horizontally.
​For questions or more information, contact us at info@ERAmn.org.
​Talk to Your Candidates about the ERA
You can use any of the following language to talk about the ERA with the candidates.  ​
  • Women have been denied equality in the Constitution.  It is time for women to be given the respect they deserve.

  • Twenty-four other states in the United States (including Texas) have added an Equal Rights Amendment to their State Constitution.  It is time to give Minnesotan citizens the opportunity to vote for an Equal Rights Amendment. 
    ​
  • Recent events have shown clearly that despite claims of equality, women still face inequality due to sexual harassment, inequitable pay and unequal treatment in the courts. Our courts are an uncertain place to determine the equality rights of over half our population.
    ​
  • The United States Constitution didn't specify something was strictly "male" until the 14th amendment (1868) which clarified this meant Male and not human or Female. This is the first time one gender was specified over another.  
    ​
  • It’s time to give women respect. It’s time to pass the ERA!
Learn more: