[david1292]

She won the ERA battle, but did Schlafly lose the war? Today feminism advanced anyway even without the ERA. They passed state amendments and passed legislation that largely achieved the same thing. Gender roles are eroding away. Women are the breadwinner in 40% of households now. Women are pushing for combat roles in the armed forces. Gay marriage is legal. Abortion is legal.

All of Schlafy’s worries about the ERA happened anyway. Even though it was defeated.

[Rockingham]

I get your point, but no one, not even Schlafly, can be fairly charged with failure for not preventing an adverse tide. Defeating the ERA was an important accomplishment in that as a federal constitutional amendment, it would have been a constant invitation to mischief as to gender and sexuality with little in the way of check or remedy. Legislation, state constitutional provisions, and bad executive policies on such issues though can be more easily reversed once the public recognizes their ill effects.