In the late 1960s and early 70s, amid the rising tide of radical feminism, many applauded the idea of an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). On its face, it sounded reasonable, and few people asked probing questions, but Phyllis Schlafly saw deeper. She understood that the ERA was a legislative Trojan Horse, capable of expanding far beyond its surface promise. She warned that it could be used to force abortion legalization, to erode privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms, and to strip away legal protections women already relied on. She was mocked as an alarmist. But fast forward to 2025 — and Phyllis was right.
In the realm of physically demanding jobs, like military members and first responders, many agencies have lowered physical standards specifically for women to more easily qualify. Men rarely sue over being held to a higher standard. But under a strict ERA reading, such adjustments would be illegal. Then consider gender ideology in sports. The radical transgender movement has only produced massive fallout in women’s sports, not men’s! Female records have been erased, and many women are seriously injured by men competing in their leagues. We have also witnessed an invasion of female locker rooms and bathrooms by males — sometimes with horrific consequences. All of these vindicate Phyllis Schlafly’s warnings long before it became a mainstream concern.
But perhaps the most telling example is abortion. In Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, three pro-abortion justices (who are on the ballot this November for retention) argued in 2024 that abortion laws constitute “gender-based discrimination.” Their logic: only women (biological mothers) are restricted by abortion laws, so those laws violate the ERA. In effect, they claim the ERA supersedes laws regulating abortion. Imagine that: a clause intended to guarantee equality being wielded to invalidate laws protecting unborn life. It’s a warped argument — and Schlafly foresaw it decades ago.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is out of line to cite the ERA. It was never ratified, and it is not a part of our federal Constitution. With Roe overturned, states must legislate abortion laws through elected bodies, not unelected judges twisting unratified amendments into radical mandates. Phyllis Schlafly was right, yet again, decades ahead of this court activity. The ERA is being resurrected as a weapon to attack society’s foundations. Phyllis Schlafly wasn’t pessimistic — she was prophetic. And today, we are seeing the consequences she warned us to watch for.
You can dive into this topic and so many more by using all of Phyllis Schlafly’s archives and writings. Visit PhyllisSchlafly.com to find her body of work, that’s PhyllisSchlafly.com! Thanks for listening and join us next time for the Phyllis Schlafly Report.
This post originally appeared at https://phyllisschlafly.com/family/pa-supreme-court-shows-phyllis-schlafly-was-right-on-era/