- When it comes to gender equality,
America's ranked 49th in the world, just below Peru,
which means now all those pictures I took stunting
at Machu Picchu just make me sad.
So I'm here to do my part by educating Americans
about vital gender topics.
This is Desi Lydic Womansplains.
The ERA stands for the equal rights amendment
not to be confused with the ERA in baseball,
which I've also womansplained.
God dammit!
So, the equal rights amendment.
It was first proposed in the 1920s
by the National Woman's Party.
They're my she-ros.
Any time there's a 1920s themed wedding,
I show up dressed as a suffragette.
Elizabeth said I pulled focus but it was worth it.
The main goal of the ERA is to prohibit discrimination
and guarantee legal equality of the sexes
in the constitution.
Because, remember, nothing in our founding documents
specifically protects the rights of women.
The founding fathers said they were gonna add it
but then they went out for cigarettes and never came back.
Even the Declaration of Independence says
we hold these truths to be self evident,
that all men are created equal,
so technically we're less than self evident which sucks.
They totally left us out.
It's like leaving all the women
out of the Hunger Games posters.
Now they just look like a JV luge team.
And the worst part is, American never fixed that oversight.
So, that's where the ERA comes in.
It would add the language equality of rights
under the law shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States or any state on account of sex.
Which shouldn't be controversial.
It's like a free duckboat tour at Disney Land,
led by Tom Hanks, everyone should be on board
yet the ERA sat in limbo for 50 years
until 1972 when it was finally passed
by both houses of congress.
We did it!
(cheering)
Except we didn't because amendments need to be ratified
by at least 38 states and the ERA fell three states short
after anti-feminist Phyllis Schlafly
led a conservative backlash against it.
She even handed out fresh baked bread
and apple pie to get people to vote against the ERA
which is not fair, okay?
Because people love equality but they love carbs more.
So in 2019, women are still not guaranteed equal rights
under the constitution.
Let me borrow your bat. Sure.
(intense electronic music)
But there's still hope.
In 2017, Nevada ratified the ERA,
then in 2018 so did Illinois,
so now it just needs one more state.
Ding.
(duck quacks)
Dammit, I was hoping that would work.
So now there are 13 possible states
and two very realistic possibilities
include Arizona and Georgia.
If you live in one of those 13 remaining states,
call your senators and ask them to support ratification.
Maybe we can even get this ERA passed
by its 100th birthday.
Then we can throw it a surprise party.
We can make it 20s themed.
I've already got my look picked out.
If you also think it's ridiculous
we haven't fixed this, go to supermajority.com/cc
to find out how you can be part of the solution
and for more on the ERA and gender equality,
be sure to watch Desi Lydic Abroad,
Monday May 13th on comedy Central.
(upbeat hip hop music)