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  • - 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)

- When it comes to gender equality,

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