What did Schlafly suggest would happen if the ERA were ratified?

Question

Women would lose financial support for themselves and their children.
Women would lose the right to vote.
Women would be barred from the military.
Women would lose access to abortion.

Answer 1

Phyllis Schlafly, a leading opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), suggested that if the ERA were ratified, it would lead to various negative consequences for women. One of her prominent claims was that ratification of the ERA would lead to women losing financial support for themselves and their children. Schlafly argued that the amendment would eliminate special legal protections for women, potentially resulting in a loss of benefits such as alimony and child support, and that it might undermine traditional family structures.

Her concerns included the idea that the ERA could lead to women being drafted into the military, impacting their roles in family life and society. However, the other claims you mentioned—such as women losing the right to vote and losing access to abortion—were not primary points she emphasized in her advocacy against the ERA.

Overall, Schlafly's rhetoric was focused on preserving traditional gender roles and addressing concerns about the potential ramifications of equal rights under the law for women.