 | |
| Formation | 1977 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To support the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment |
| Headquarters | Sterling, Virginia |
President | Sonia Johnson |
Mormons for ERA was a feminist organization that lobbied on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1970s and 1980s. [1] The group was led by Sonia Johnson.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) opposed the ERA, starting in 1976. [2] After the church came out in opposition of the amendment, a group of women members of the LDS Church founded Mormons for ERA in the late 1970s. Marilyn Warenski's book Patriarchs and Politics has been created with building enthusiasm for this feminist group. [3]
Mormons for ERA was based in Sterling, Virginia under the leadership of Sonia Johnson. [4] Johnson was excommunicated from the LDS Church in 1979 by her bishop, Jeffrey Willis, for her support for the ERA. [5] [6] She served as the first president of this organization when she was elected in 1980. [1] Three other women co-founded the group, including Teddie Wood, a fifth generation church member. [7] Other leaders of the organization included Hazel Davis Rigby and Maida Withers. [1]
According to Johnson, by 1979 Mormons for ERA had over 500 members. [8] The group was especially active between 1977 and 1983. By 1983, it was estimated there were 1,200 members in the organization. [9]
In 1980, Audrey McIlwrath served as the coordinator for the group's Southern California chapter. [10] She printed a booklet known as the "Gray Book" outlining the beliefs of the organization after many other printers refused to help with distribution. [10]
The state of Washington had an active chapter of Mormons for ERA, with Mary La Brosse as the state coordinator. [11]
In 1980, Johnson chained herself to the church's Seattle Washington Temple to raise awareness for the need for the ERA. [12]
In 1982, a group of women, including Johnson, protested for the ERA when they chained themselves to the Washington D.C. Temple. This action was coordinated with the group Congressional Union in recognition of the group that fought for suffrage during the progressive era. [13]
As of 2022, Mormons for ERA is still politically active and organizes its members through its Facebook group.[ citation needed ]
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Kathleen Marie Kelly, known as Kate Kelly, is an American activist, human rights lawyer, and Mormon feminist who founded Ordain Women, an organization advocating for the ordination of women to the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kelly was excommunicated from the church in 2014. She is also a nationally known advocate for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and abortion access.
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Georgia Fuller is a women's rights activist who was heavily involved in the political struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1980s. She was a member of the Congressional Union, a feminist group in the 1980s, and was co-founder of the Arlington, Virginia chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW).
Grassroots Group of Second Class Citizens was a political organization of feminist women created in the early 1980s to undertake non-violent direct action tactics to raise awareness for the need of an Equal Rights Amendment. The group also advocated for reproductive rights and lasted throughout the 1980s.
A Group of Women was an American feminist organization in the 1980s who committed a series of actions in support of the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Sonia Johnson was a notable member of this organization that advocated for the use of civil disobedience to raise awareness about the need for the ERA.
Joan M. Martin is a theologian and a faith-based feminist. Martin has been politically active with a number of different feminist causes and is notable for her 1978 congressional testimony on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Mary Lee Sargent is a feminist activist notable for her direct action political protests on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment in the early 1980s.