The Equal Rights Amendment in the Courts!

Please be aware of the upcoming court case Equal vs. Equal vs. Trump on November 17, 2025, at 2 pm EST.

The Honorable Judge William G. Young will be presiding. If you are in the Boston area, please try to attend. If you cannot be there, please request an audio recording of the proceedings by contacting Mr. Matthew Paine, docket manager at 617.748.9157 at least 1 day before the hearing.

If you can attend: United States District Court for District of Massachusetts, John Joseph Moadley United States Courthouse, 1 Court house Way, Boston, MA 02210

Why is it so important?

On April 3, 2025, a lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts designed to amend the Constitution once and for all. It was filed by Kamal Lopez, leader of Equal Mean Equal. The issue in question is the Selective Service and who is compelled or forbidden to register. This current case comes as we have a case in California (Valame vs. Biden) filed by a man who says his rights under the Equal Rights Amendment have been violated because women are forbidden to register for Selective Service. He refused to register, protesting that women don’t have to register. Learning of this case, Wendy Murphy, legal advisor of Equal Means Equal, filed a case on behalf of individual plaintiffs and all women to demand that the United         State Government allow women to register for the Selective Service, if they choose to do so. This case is important to all women in America because the lawsuit claims the Selective Service law discriminates against men. The California case is about discrimination against men, while the Equal Means Equal case is about Equal Rights for Women. If we are ever before the Supreme Court that determines that women are fully equal citizens, it should be a case about women. “We have fought much too long and hard to allow a men’s rights case decide the legal status of women,” said Murphy.

Women have served this country, including in the military, since the beginning of our nation and they have fought in combat roles since 2015. Women have given their lives to protect the values of our American Democracy but remain unequal in American life.

One more item, this case has been rescheduled quite a few times. Make sure to make that call!

Congressional Updates:

House bill HK Res 80 has 213 cosponsors as of 10/16/25. The goal is 215. We have four members who still need to sign: Rep. Adam Gray (D-CA13), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-P01), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX28),  and  Rep.  Bobby  Scott  (D-VA03).

Senator Murkowski’s Bill SJ Resolution 38 gained two more Senators before the Senate shutdown.

During the last Congressional session, the ERA Caucus was established with Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Jennifer McClellan as the co-chairs. They have rescheduled an event for when the House is back in session.

THE ERA IS THE LAW OF THE LAND.

Three Key Points to share when discussing the ERA:

Nancy Werner

Advocacy ERA Lead

2022-2026