If you are a boy or man, if you are a woman or a girl, … this site is for you!
Women's Rights + Men’s Rights = Equal Rights= Human Rights…
IS zero OUT OF 4 GOOD ENOUGH?
We don't think so! Do YOU?
Equal Rights Amendment is THE answer…
This Constitutional amendment will secure the birthright of equal treatment for male and female alike. Laws, state ERAs, the 14th Amendment are no guarantee.
That the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) did not pass earlier surprises many. But ERA is indeed still alive and well. ERA JUST NEEDS 3 MORE STATES TO RATIFY IT so it passes into the U.S. Constitution!
We of the Equal Rights Alliance Inc. focus on this singular PURPOSE:
To see the Equal Rights Amendment PASS INTO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. But FIRST, 3 MORE States must ratify/vote for the Equal Rights Amendment. Florida is one of those States.
We mobilize, Organize and Publicize the swelling need for America’s ERA which is already in place in every nation created since WWII. We advocate that the U.S. ERA be in our Constitution, too. We perform research via several national legal teams and spread information by cyber-newsletters, talks, rallies, media interviews, talking with officials, give speeches anywhere you ask us in Florida, the Southeast U.S., D.C., at nearly 67 Florida County Legislative Delegation meetings every year while helping to mentor the 6 other ERA-active states: Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, and now Virginia. It's year round 18/7 schedule.
Your Alliance is poised for Equal Rights Amendment Action.
We have the support, the tools, the expertise, and the votes.
All we need…is for YOU to pitch in to convince state lawmakers that Equality IS a purely a fundamental, moral, American value. We’ll teach you how, as needed, and provide handouts to leave.
For those who cannot find time to volunteer with ERA occasionally, please DONATE what you can for operating costs to ERA Inc. OR ERA Education Inc, (our 501c3) at P.O. Box 59023, N. Redington Bch, FL 33708 or Paypal. None of us is salaried. You pay no dues. ERA is funded solely by donations like yours and ours. Thank you.
Please Read, Learn, and Comment at SandyO@PassEra.org. We are all for YOU, your children, theirs, theirs and theirs! Sandy Oestreich, Founder-President of the Equal Rights Alliance, who thrills to the idea of REAL PROTECTION against sex discrimination is now working with 300,000 supporters, 88% of the public who say they WANT AN ERA, 49 Florida officials, a legendary Board,7 Regional Directors, and with the other ERA-active states.
Alert - EQUAL RIGHTS ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES - Alert
2012 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SESSION starts January 10
NEW bills, SAME wording,
a NEW Sponsor, new energies, more members, a Blog, and a new Senate Sponsor !
We are honored again that Senator Nan Rich (D-Broward, Miami-Dade) is the Senate Sponsor of the 2012 ERA bill, SRC 180, already gathering co-sponsors!
Alliance is proud that FL Representative Lori Berman (D-Miami-Dade), Magna cum Laude from George Washington U Law School is the new 2012 House bill HCR 8003 Sponsor.
Our deep gratitude goes to Senator Arthenia Joyner (D-Tampa, St. Pete) who has faithfully filed the ERA ratification bills since 2003.
THIS YEAR WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO EVEN MORE CO-SPONSORS OF THESE ERA BILLS THAN LAST YEARS 31 COURAGEOUS LEGISLATORS. So far, the 2012 co-sponsors are: Senator Ring, Sachs, Branon and Representatives Abruzzo, Cruz, Fullwood, Garcia, Julien, Kriseman, Pafford, Perman, Randolph,Sands, Schwartz, Soto, Stafford, Steinberg, Watson.
If you do not see your Florida senator or representative on this list yet, CALL her/him now with a reminder that you, as a constituent, are expecting her/him to co-sponsor SCR 180 or HCR 8003 as soon as possible to show resolve for equal treatment for all Americans, regardless of gender. Any questions raised, let me know at SandyO@PassERA.org, and I will answer them within 24 hours. Guaranteed. Thanks for trying hard for ERA alongside the rest of us!
And~~
Click on our blog. At top of this web site download our bulleted Talking Points for your visits to your own Florida legislators. Call your county Supervisor of Elections for contact info for your own Florida representative and your Florida senator. Make an appointment in their District Offices right now, while they have time for you and are not in Tallahassee. They are busier and less accessible as March approaches. Tell them you and most Floridians WANT TO SEE THE ERA RATIFIED BY FLORIDA as all other nations since WWII already have an ERA. One more thing: PLEASE email us how it went so we can strategize
to SandyO@PassERA.org.
We are all working for YOU. You are your two Legislators’ VIP. If you wish, let us help you make it a successful appointment. FOR PITCHING IN and SPEAKING UP for EQUALITY for all Americans, regardless of gender…
Much MORE follows--Keep scrolling down for pics and Breaking News, etc.
**** See President Obama sign the ****
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act on January 29, 2009!
(But we still need ERA to bolster enforcement of this new law or it remains subject to ignoring as the 1964 Fair Pay Act has experienced for 45+ years.)
Equal Rights Amendment (the ERA)
The fundamental moral American value of equal treatment for men and women:
American men and women are not yet represented equally in the U.S. Constitution, the contract of our nation with its people—ALL its people. The only incontestable right women have in the Constitution is the right to vote. Neither men nor women are protected there against sex discrimination as they are against discrimination based on race, religion and national origin. That creates confusion and injustice in the courts and all spheres of society. We need an ERA as a matter of simple justice, as our birthrights as human beings.
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) did not get the required full 38 ratifications by 1982, so it is not codified in the U.S. Constitution as are race, religion and national origin. Click here to read the chronology of Florida's ERA Bill 1972-82. Big NEWS is that one state, North Dakota, HAS JUST RE-ratified the federal ERA to show strong intent. Yes, there is legal opinion that the ERA can pick up where it left off. This is because the 35 state ratifications achieved earlier cannot be rescinded. This leaves just three of the 15 states to go. The ERA is still viable and timely based on the past precedent of an unrelated amendment having been passed into the Constitution after waiting 203 years, plus other substantive legal arguments. ERA is WIN-WIN.
Debra Fleming (right), our new Research Analyst and Central Florida ERA Coordinator; Owner of her own businesses: The Aravot Company, affordable housing; The Ancestry Detective, genealogical research and presentations.
Katy Krueger, Northwest Florida Outreach Coordinator; Author and Playwright: The Nineteenth Amendment, the musical (a biography of legendary Alice Paul who secured for women the right to vote and created the Equal Rights Amendment).
They say, "We WILL ratify ERA in Florida! No way will every nation since WWII have an ERA but not America. WHO COULD BE AGAINST EQUALITY FOR ALL!"
!! ERA SUCCESS !!
YES, the Florida Senate Judiciary did vote to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment on April 1, 2008, bipartisan, 8-3 ! It was SRO. This, after much legwork by many organizations including American Assn. of University Women, Business & Professional Women, Equal Rights Alliance (us), Florida American Civil Liberties Union, Florida State U Students for ERA, Florida NOW, Florida Nurses Association, Florida Teachers Association, Florida Women’s Consortium, Miami-Dade Commission for Women, , other organizations and thousands of individuals, Especially we thank the Staffs of Senator Gwen Margolis, Sponsor of SCR 362, and Senator Alex Villalobos who championed it along with his daughter. But House Speaker Rubio called the ERA “not important” and blocked ERA bill from a House hearing though we had the needed votes. See Tallahassee’s reactions at http://www.baynews9.com/VideoPlayer/?arc/ERA.
Note protesters' backs turned to Phyllis onstage. 82% polled by the St. Louis Dispatch (not a scientifically valid poll) say she should not have been honored for her hate speech. But we do know that universities can use all the bequests they can get.
KUDOS TO FLORIDA'S ERA CHAMPION SPEAKERS
In the Fall of each year,Florida legislators in each of the 67 counties hold public meetings in their counties. Your Alliance has sent ERA speakers to many of them. They say they are honored to do this. We are grateful, as this is one way to inform all Florida's state legislators about the ERA--even those who avoid welcoming us into their offices. They get our latest handout (click ERA is Win-Win button).
This year, some legislators applauded our speakers (only ours). Audiences gathered around our speakers afterward.
Along with us, please congratulate and thank this past year's marvelous speakers for the ERA!
Becca Hutchinson, an Eckerd College Political Science major
Dr. Sandra Barkley, a Gulf Coast Community College chemistry professor
Petey Kaletta, a Broward League of Women Voters member
Chris Davis, an Englewood/Venice, Charlotte County BPW member
Dr. Norine Hemping, a Collier County resident
Dr. Julie Ballero, a resident of Escambia County
Mary Ann Clark, a Flagler County resident
Mary Giddens, a Glades County cattlerancher and BPW member (she's also speaking in Hendry County!)
Rebekkah Tucci, the Alliance's Regional Coordinators Pinellas County, a law student at Stetson (she's also speaking in Hardee and Polk Counties! )
Ruth Hoock, a Medical Technologist and BPW member in Hernando County
Frances Leaphart, a Highlands Registered Nurse
Bill Horvath, a resident of Indian River County
Nancy Hurlbert, former president Florida Women's Consortium, BPWFL, and USA. Activist in Lake County
Ray Troy, resident of Lee County
Katie Hayden, Regional Coordinator, Florida State U, Leon County
Dr. Sarah Meaker, business consultant in Manatee County
Dr. Ann Barefield, President of UU Church, Marion County
Judy Byrne Riley, Democratic Women's Club, Shalimar, Okaloosa County
Nancy Jacobson, resident of Orange County
Dr. Jane Caputi, Professor, FAU, Palm Beach County
Debra Fleming, Regional Coordinator for Research, Pasco County
Annette Capella, resident of St Johns County
Susan Frishkorn, with the media, Santa Rosa County
Kate Schoenhals, Sarasota County AAUW member
Chris Lomas, Seminole County Attorney
Patti Tobin, St. Lucie County AAUW member-activist
Sue Michaelson, Sumter County environmentalist
Rachel Sieg, Former BPWFL president in Volusia County
*********************************************
Grateful Thanks to these Gracious ERA Supporters for Standing Tall for Equality for All before our Legislators to Encourage them to Cosponsor, Vote for the ERA bills in 2010, and to Urge Hearings !
We are indebted to them, and honored to know them. We urge YOU to make an appointment for an end-of-January 2010 or February visit to YOUR Florida senator and representative! Do YOUR bit for ERA, please, now.
Sandy Oestreich, Founder/President, Equal Rights Alliance Inc at SandyO@PassERA.org We warmly invite your comments. Anyone inadvertently left off the list, PLEASE contact us.
WESTPOINT Changes Its Tune ... One More Sexist Offense Dismissed !
June 2008. The Westpoint Military Academy. Gender-neutral lyrics have fixed West Point's ceremonial Alma Mater song and The Corps song … with the Equal Rights Alliance's help.
West Point officials were aware of that need as their students and alumae--some dying in battle--, are both male and female. Via an ERA Inc. supporter in Virginia and Florida, (Mary@Hartzler.net), we were able to connect Superintendant Lt. Gen Franklin "Buster" Hagenbeck with the guidance of Equal Rights Alliance's Washington State non-sexist language expert, Val Drummond (JazzyVal@aol.com; author of JUST WORDS: The Us and Them Thing). "No trouble at all", said Val. Now on to the Navy, Air Force, and Marines!
ALLIANCE Puts ERA Back on Party Platform!
We worked closely with the Party Platform Committees, and were successful in getting the Equal Rights Amendment back on the Democratic Platform from which Pres. Candidate John Kerry had removed it after some 40 years in place.
Almost as lucky with Republican Party work. After Phyllis Schlafly swept in, they told us, with her usual extremist speeches, they backed off from ERA. Currently, the Republican Platform barely mentions women's issues at all. Invisible AGAIN!
We wisely keep on trying to associate with members of the Republican Party. It helps us to stay balanced that some of our Alliance members are Republican and so is our bill's Prime Sponsor in the House, Rep. Planas.
Where's The Outrage?
An Editorial from a loving father
Being a father of a young talented daughter, I am outraged that she is considered an equal among her male peers, but not in the eyes of our United States Constitution.
The ERA should be a slam dunk issue, one that everyone should endorse, but where's the outrage? Why is it meeting so much opposition here in Florida? Why are we letting misinformation formulate our public policy?
Why aren't we marching on Tallahassee and holding our legislators to a higher standard? Had black America been as unresponsive to the civil rights movement back in the 60's as we are today with the ERA, we would still have "for colored only" drinking fountains in Florida downtowns.
Mike McKinney. League of Women Voters, Hillsborough County
Past President
Florida's Equal Rights Alliance leader, Sandy Oestreich, receiving award from Base Commander Colonel Clemons for her Women's History Month ERA presentation at Eglin Air Force Base, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, March 7, 2007. Chief Master Sgt. Dockery (L) also presented Ms. Oestreich with the Medallion of Eglin Air Force Base as a gift from the base servicewomen.
SARASOTA HERALD TRIBUNE
Article published Apr 1, 2008 re: Florida’s ERA ratification moves a step closer
Pros and cons of ERA
The Equal Rights Amendment is one of those balls the second-wave feminist movement left in the next generation of women's lap.
So there it was Tuesday afternoon, picked back up in a Senate committee meeting by women old enough to have marched with Betty Friedan in defense of the "problem that has no name."
"It’s been a long fight," said Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami Beach, who filed the ERA bill. "Once again, we’re looking for equality under the law."
The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced in Congress 85 years ago. It passed in 1972 and was sent to states for approval. But only 35 of the needed 38 states approved it. Florida wasn’t one of them. The ERA has since sat dormant.
There were some women in the audience from generation Got-It-All, those young enough to classify as feminism's lackluster third wave.
"Under the constitution, I only have the right to vote," said a junior at Florida State University, urging the committee to support the ERA.
Some of the 10 men on the 11-member committee were confused.
"I’m trying to understand what the amendment will afford you, and for that matter any other woman, that’s not in our law today," Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, said to Margolis.
Margolis relied on presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
"If Clinton won this election, Congress could decide her salary should be less," she said. "And she wouldn’t be able to go to the Supreme Court and say anything."
Another woman representing female business executives pointed out that the United States made Iraqis and Afghans write equal rights for men and women into their constitutions.
But Carole Griffin, president of Florida Eagle Forum, gave the starkest predictions of what might happen if the ERA passed: No more separate holidays for Mother's Day and Father's Day; the age for consensual sex would be 12; prostitution would be legalized; and everything from prisons to boy scouts and girl scouts troupes would be sex integrated.
Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, asked Griffin if she has witnessed "any of those silly things" happening in Florida, where the constitution declares men and women equal.
She hadn’t.
The bill passed, with three senators voting no: Carey Baker, R-Eustis; Alex Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami; and Senate Majority Leader Daniel Webster, R-Orlando.
One of Florida’s nurses has re-ignited Florida’s ERA ratification campaign FOR YOU, and is working her heart out with thousands of like-minded citizens. Read More . . .
NEW DRIVE AFOOT TO PASS EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT - Other papers, magazines and wires ran similar ERA stories. Mocking Schlafly, one comedian fretted that if ERA passed there would be unisex bathrooms in which "they would force him to sit to ____" (urinate). . . Read More . . .
ERA BILLS GATHERING MOMENTUM - The Illinois, Missouri and Florida legislatures have filed ERA ratification bills. The Arkansas Senate is revving up for ERA, and the House may have enough votes! “Hundreds Gather. . . Read More . . .
Nonpartisan Joy – FLORIDA WOMEN ELECTED, FLORIDA WOMEN SERVING: Alex Sink, Arthenia Joyner, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Kathy Castor! Read More . . .
The EQUAL RIGHTS ALLIANCE and VETERAN FEMINISTS OF AMERICA Announce the Florida Book Launching of FEMINISTS WHO CHANGED AMERICA, 1963-75, edited by the renowned Barbara Love Read More . . .
MEDIA RELEASE—FEMINISTS WHO CHANGED AMERICA, 1963-75 / December 4, 2006 Read More . . .
Faculty and student protests at Washington U., St. Louis over Schlafly's "coronation" there May 16. 
