Washington, D.C. - Following the news that the United States Supreme Court has overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in deciding Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, ERA Coalition and Fund for Women’s Equality President and CEO Zakiya Thomas released the following statement:

“Today is truly a turning point for the civil rights of everyone in this country. Upending established precedent and mounting one of the most damaging assaults on our constitutional rights in nearly 50 years makes us all less in control of our bodies. This decision is unjust and diminishes us all. We will not have full equality in this country until every person truly has the right to control their body and, in turn, participate fully and equally in our society, politics, and economy. 

“Today’s decision reflects a stunningly limited view of the rights conferred by our Constitution, and it highlights why we need the Equal Rights Amendment. Indeed, ERA opponents have long used abortion as a wedge issue, to distract from their real motivation: perpetuating the second-class status of women and gender/sexual minorities in America.

“Millions of people will suffer life-altering consequences as a result of the Supreme Court’s disturbing actions, which will disproportionately hurt people who look like me, especially LGBTQ+ people of color, in states where abortion will become illegal or severely restricted. More than ever, we are grateful today for our Coalition partners like the Center for Reproductive Rights, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Organization for Women (NOW), Feminist Majority, Women’s March, North Star Project, and Ms. Magazine, who have and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure reproductive rights and justice across the country.

“With this decision –– and with the Senate’s failure to join the House in voting to remove the congressional time limit imposed on the ERA’s ratification in 1972 –– it is clear that we must elect more representatives who value full equality for women. This is why we’ve launched our Elect Equality campaign –– to ensure voters can find and support candidates who openly advocate for sex equality at every level of government. Because our rights depend on it.”

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