This One's For All The Girls
Can't let a Martina McBride verse go to waste! We're one week out from the 2nd Annual Girl Power event: come join us for the ERA campaign kick-off and to thank the women who ran for office in 2024.
We’re just one week away from the 2nd Annual Girl Power event when we’ll kick off the Equal Rights Amendment campaign on Thursday, January 9th from 7:00 - 8:30 PM CT at a Room With A View in Nashville’s Marathon Villiage.
As you may have heard, the push to codify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has taken on new urgency and increased controversy. Advocates nationwide call on President Biden to instruct the US Archivist to certify and publish the ERA in the Constitution before he leaves office; however, members of Congress are battling with the Archivist over semantics and procedure. If Biden follows through, this critical action would mark a significant victory for equality and counter decades of opposition that have worked to halt the ERA’s progress since it was first introduced in 1923.
Here in Tennessee, the battle for gender equality has deep roots. Our state ratified the ERA in 1972, only to rescind it shortly thereafter, following a wave of backlash led by far-right groups like Eagle Forum. Now, fifty years later, we’re reigniting the fight to enshrine equality into the Tennessee Constitution with a new resolution I’ve filed. Though the process will require passage in two consecutive legislative sessions before appearing on the 2026 ballot, it’s an essential step to hold lawmakers accountable and show Tennesseans where their representatives stand on women’s rights.
Unsurprisingly, groups like the Tennessee Eagle Forum are already mobilizing against us. On December 11th, they sent out this e-mail castigating any effort to pass the ERA.
Their decades-long campaign to undermine gender equality is rooted in a deep-seated anti-women agenda that seeks to strip away rights and prevent progress. These groups fear the momentum behind the ERA because it threatens to reveal their true motives: opposing equality and maintaining systemic barriers that harm women.
With the legislative session just around the corner, join us for a cathartic and energizing night! We’ll have an opportunity to thank the women that ran for office in 2024, I’ll be handing out our “Girl Power Male Accomplice Award” to men who have gone above and beyond to elevate women, and hear from local organizers and activists about 2025 organizing efforts.
It will be an evening of inspiration, community, and action—a perfect way to kick off what will undoubtedly be a tough session.
With gratitude,
Aftyn
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, January 9, 2024
Location: Room with a View, Marathon Villiage, Nashville
Time: 7:00 - 8:30 PM CT