SEGMENT ONE

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), that would put women, finally, into the U.S. Constitution is only ONE PHONE CALL AWAY from becoming a reality in law, according to my guests, Kamala Lopez, actress, film-maker and President of Equal Means Equal (EME) and Alice Crenshaw, Communications Director of EME. 

The film: Equal Means Equal, produced and directed by Kamala Lopez was released in the summer of 2016, and it went on to win Best U.S. Documentary at Michael Moore’s TCF Festival and was a New York Times Critics’ Pick.  The film began to be used by activists across the country in community screenings, house parties and online to reinvigorate the fight to complete ERA ratification. Then, in March of 2017, after over thirty-five years of inaction, the Equal Rights Amendment was ratified in Nevada and in Illinois on May 30th of 2018.

Now that the ERA has been ratified by 38 states, according to many legal experts, it only needs the U.S. Archivist to publish it, for it to become law--and all the Archivist needs is a phone call from President Biden to officially publish it!

Equal Means Equal, along with a host of public figures are demanding that President Biden make that call!!!

Here's a part of the Press Release for their latest initiative:

EQUAL MEANS EQUAL Ignites "MAKE THE CALL JOE! " Finial Impact Campaign

As EME Announce's our Launch of the new initiative “MAKE THE CALL, JOE!” the FINAL IMPACT for the ERA Campaign to ensure that the Equal Rights Amendment is published as the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution before the November elections.

THE TIME IS NOW. “It’s long past the time for President Biden to pick up the phone and call the US Archivist and tell them to publish the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Everybody benefits when we put equality first. Let’s make the ERA a reality and no longer send it to voicemail.” -Quote From The Honorable John M. Erickson PH.D Mayor of The city of West Hollywood.

Women are still unequal in the United States. Informing the public of this legal injustice is critical to ending the discrimination and rollbacks of our rights, presently increasing every day. Although the thirty-eight states needed have ratified the ERA, it still has not been published, adopted or enforced.

The ERA is a gamechanger for American women, girls, MEN and LGBTQ people. In fact, it makes any discrimination based on sex or gender illegal. This includes discrimination in pay, gender-based violence, pregnancy discrimination, reproductive rights & bodily autonomy, and so much more.

96% of Americans believe that men and women are equal but over 85% believe this equality is already explicit in our Constitution. It is not. Launching and implementing this public awareness campaign prior to the November 2024 elections may well be the last opportunity we have to enshrine equality for all Americans, regardless of sex, in the U.S. Constitution.

Over the past century women and our allies have spent many millions of hours and dollars to achieve full ratification of the ERA and we must ensure that these efforts are not swept into the dustbin of history by powerful forces that want to maintain the status quo.

“We are demanding the U.S. Government respect the will of the people, who have overwhelmingly ratified the ERA and support equality for all, regardless of sex, and publish and adopt the ERA immediately. EQUAL MEANS EQUAL calls the nation to Action to urge President Biden to uphold the basic tenets of our democratic republic and enshrine the full equality of all its citizens under law and provide them with the equal protection of our laws. Fulfilling the century-long journey of the Equal Rights Amendment, begun by Alice Paul in 1923, is a joyous and historic celebration that we invite all Americans to participate in.”– Kamala Lopez, Founder/President of EQUAL MEANS EQUAL

(Organization Website: https://equalmeansequal.org/ Campaign

Bio's of our guests:

Kamala Lopez: Actress, filmmaker, activist & President of Heroica Films, Kamala Lopez, launched the movement and documentary film Equal Means Equal, to educate Americans about the importance of equal rights under federal law for women and complete the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Alice Crenshaw: Communications Director for Equal Means Equal, has a background in fine arts and education along with a Political Science degree. Nicknamed the “Glitter Tornado” she has been involved with numerous projects and organizations, including founding Strike for America in 2022. Known for her enthusiasm, she can usually be found getting into some “good trouble” of one kind or another.

SEGMENT TWO

A tribute to women's comics pioneer Trina Robbins and brief history of Women's Comix, with excerpts from our recent show with Sabrina Jones and Jennifer Camper, two currently working comic artists who were mentored by Trina Robbins. We'll focus on the almost 'forbidden history' of women's abortion stories as a subject for comics and introduce an anthology of Post-Dobbs women's comix that features comix othe stories of women's experiences with abortions and which was the last anthology edited by Trina Robbins before her death. It is called "Won't Back Down!" We will offer a copy (in full color) to donators to listener-supported WBAI--for becoming a WBAI sustaining member (for as little as $15. a month, or for a pledge of $50. to support listener sponsored non-commercial WBAI radio.

Pledge number is: (212) 209-2950, or go to give2wbai.org. Order your copy of "Won't Back Down!" and support Listener Supported Non-Commercial Radio and Joy of Resistance!

The show topwill also feature a Feminist News Roundup and topical music.