Constitutional Equality Amendment Action Organizing Ideas

CONSTITUTIONAL EQUALITY AMENDMENT ACTION ORGANIZING IDEAS

1. Internal Chapter Discussion

The educational materials provided in this packet may be used in a variety of ways to assist in fostering on-going dialogue among your chapter membership on the need for a constitutional guarantee of equality for women. The following are some suggestions the chapter may wish to use:

Step one

Form a Constitutional Equality Amendment (CEA) Committee to organize the chapter's plans for working on this issue.
Publish portions of the educational materials in your chapter newsletter -- preferably over a period of months.
Schedule a major chapter meeting/forum for an open discussion of the CEA.

Step two

The chapter could - -

Publicize and build attendance for the CEA forum though newsletters, phonebanks, word of mouth and special mailings.
Distribute CEA materials to members attending chapter meetings before the CEA forum so activists may read them ahead of time.
Invite (via your chapter newsletter) activists who didn't get a copy of the CEA materials to call for them prior to the forum. Bring additional copies for distribution at the CEA forum.

Step three

For the forum itself the CEA committee should - -

Prepare by planning the agenda and selecting capable, interested people to participate as panelists, facilitators and trainers.
Select a convenient, central place for the meeting, making sure to arrange for childcare, refreshments and "greeters."
Include in the agenda a review and discussion of different sections of the educational materials, followed by an exploration of potential action ideas. Decide what you want to do, who will do it, how and when. People want well-defined tasks.
Maximize participation of the members present by designing a "mini-CR" on discrimination -- for use either in small groups or with everyone, depending on how many people are present. Ask each person to describe some way they have been discriminated against in the past year because of their sex. Examples can be simple, like paying more for dry-cleaning, or more serious, like being sexually harassed on the job or being passed over for promotion in favor of a new man you had to train. It is these everyday acts of discrimination which wear us down. Ask what effect a CEA would have on these issues.

Lastly and Very Important:

Assign someone on your CEA committee to take notes every time the committee meets and at the larger meeting, and send a copy to the National CEA Committee at the National NOW Action Center.

2. Outreach to Other Organizations

This step involves meeting with the leadership of other progressive organizations such as the traditional women's groups, women of color organizations, lesbian and gay organizations, civil rights organizations and religious groups, to introduce them to the potential benefit of an expansive concept of constitutional equality. This outreach will give you an opportunity to share NOW's current thinking on the subject with them. Be prepared to discuss why NOW is not supporting the "Three More States" or so-called "Madison Strategy."

Some chapters may decide they want to meet with each allied group individually, others might want to organize a meeting that is sponsored by all of the interested organizations to discuss this new concept of constitutional equality.

Again, please send the National CEA Committee a summary of your meetings with the various groups.

3. Community Education and Action

Letters and Op-Ed Pieces

Your chapter CEA committee might decide to draft a series of letters to the editor. For example, one topic might be an analysis of why discrimination based on sexual orientation is in reality, sex discrimination. This perspective is a whole new way of looking at the issues. Another topic might be why discrimination against pregnant women -- including restrictions on abortion -- is sex discrimination. Your group may wish write an op-ed piece that conveys the importance of this new expansive concept of constitutional equality.

These letters to the editor could be from individuals or from the chapter, or a combination. This action is one way to begin the education that will be so essential to our success. Don't forget about weekly publications, peole of color and lesbian and gay press in your area.

Please send any letters to the editor or op-ed articles that are published to the National CEA committee at the NOW Action Center.

Public Awareness Program

Another aspect of community education would be to construct and distribute brochures and flyers about a potential Constitutional Equality Amendment at every opportunity. Most chapters utilize the strategy of tabling at various community events. Don't miss this opportunity to spread the word.

Electoral Politics

Ultimately our success depends upon having supportive legislators in the Congress. No work on passing an equality amendment is more important that the election of feminist women and men.

It is important to educate our elected officials on this expansive concept of constitutional equality. Make appointments to meet with your elected officials who have been supportive of an ERA and explain to them our thinking about the potential benefit of this expanded concept.

Your PAC should begin including questions about such an expanded Constitutional Equality Amendment in questionnaires and during interviews and discussions with candidates.

It is important to begin including questins about such an expanded Constitutional Equality Amendment in any PAC questionnaires and during interviews and discussions with candidates.

One way of wording such a question might be: Do you support passage of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving women full constitutional equality including reproductive rights and protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation?

Again, please let your National CEA Committee know how the educational campaign is going in your area by sending any materials your chapter puts together and a summary of your activities to the NOW Action Center.

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