What did Schlafly suggest would happen if the ERA were ratified? 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 prominent conservative activist, opposed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and argued that its ratification would lead to several negative consequences for women. Among her claims were that the ERA would eliminate the special legal protections that women had, potentially impacting things like alimony and child support, and would also lead to women being drafted into the military. Schlafly suggested that the ERA could undermine traditional family structures and roles, leading to greater difficulties for women and children in securing financial and social support. However, her assertion that women would lose the right to vote is inaccurate, as women's suffrage was established long before the ERA was introduced. The claims she made often reflected her views on traditional gender roles and the implications of legal equality.