Which statement best reflects Phyllis Schlafly's view of the ERA and feminism?

Which statement best reflects Phyllis Schlafly's view of the ERA and feminism?

• A. It would lead to the drafting of women, the end of laws protecting homemakers, and same-sex marriages.
• B. It would simply improve women's rights without affecting other institutions.
• C. It would be neutral and affect all genders equally.
• D. It would strengthen existing family laws and protections.

Answer: (A)

Phyllis Schlafly argued that the ERA would bring sweeping changes beyond simply extending equal rights to women. She warned that it could require women to register for the military draft, eliminate laws that protect homemakers and traditional caregiving roles, and open the door to changes in marriage that she believed could include same-sex marriages. These arguments framed the ERA as something that would disrupt existing social and legal structures the way many people understood them, not just add more rights for women. That perspective is why the statement describing those broad, transformative effects best matches her stance. The other views treat the ERA as a limited or neutral shift or as something that would strengthen family protections, which aligns less with Schlafly’s critique that the amendment would undermine established gender roles and family law.

Phyllis Schlafly argued that the ERA would bring sweeping changes beyond simply extending equal rights to women. She warned that it could require women to register for the military draft, eliminate laws that protect homemakers and traditional caregiving roles, and open the door to changes in marriage that she believed could include same-sex marriages. These arguments framed the ERA as something that would disrupt existing social and legal structures the way many people understood them, not just add more rights for women. That perspective is why the statement describing those broad, transformative effects best matches her stance. The other views treat the ERA as a limited or neutral shift or as something that would strengthen family protections, which aligns less with Schlafly’s critique that the amendment would undermine established gender roles and family law.