The future of Equal Rights remains uncertain.

While all necessary legislatures have ratified the amendment, the deadline passed. The U.S. Justice Department said because the deadline has expired, the ERA is no longer pending and can therefore not become law.

The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced in 1923 by Alice Paul, and has since then been battling for ratification.

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex,” the ERA said.

The proposed amendment guaranteed equal legal rights for all citizens by ending the legal distinctions between genders. 

Approved by Congress in 1972, a deadline for ratification was set for 1979, but that was later extended to 1982. For a proposed amendment to become law, it must be ratified by at least three-fourths of U.S. state legislatures, which is 38 out of the 50 states.

Although the deadline for ratification was June 30, 1982, on Jan. 15, 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA. 

“Congress may not revive a proposed amendment after the deadline has expired,” Assistant Attorney General Steven A. Engel said. 

Others think that the deadline should not be observed.

The ERA is necessary. Talk to anyone, anywhere and chances are they will think an equal rights amendment has already passed. 

U.S. citizens have been working for equality since the 1800s and this is the closest we have come.

Some worry the amendment will cause more harm than good, but we can deal with those problems as we go.  The Trump Administration wants to disregard the amendment, to throw it away. But the people want their law approved.

The Equal Rights Amendment has not been officially passed. States need to continue ratifying the amendment for it to be in the American future.