Accolades of the Early Utah Deaf &
Non-Deaf Women's History
Non-Deaf Women's History
Written by Jodi Becker Kinner
2017 - 2019
Note
I believe it is vital to remember and appreciate the accomplishments of early Utah Deaf women throughout history since women are marginalized socially, economically, professionally, and politically. We'll learn a little about the accomplishments of Utah Deaf women, particularly in terms of leadership. It's a wonderful way to remember them and pay tribute to their legacy. Finally, we will examine the history and leadership of gender equality, as well as ways for growing political leadership.
Thousands Marched On Utah State Capitol
Calling For Women’s Equality
Calling For Women’s Equality
Women's Rights are Human Rights = Human Rights are Women's Rights. ~Utah Women Unite~
Disclaimer
This page is not intended to criticize President Donald Trump; rather, it is intended to help readers better understand what women go through while trying to make their voices heard in a male-dominated political system regarding the hardships and oppressions they have faced over time.
It was the march that was “heard” around the world. The Global Women’s March took place Saturday, January 21, 2017 where an estimated 2.6 million people around the world united and marched with women and families to raise their voices concerning women’s inequality. Two days later, January 23, snow, hail, wind or icy roads in Salt Lake City did not stop ten thousand Utah residents from bravely marching to the Utah State Capitol, with it being the first day of the Utah’s legislative session. The “Utah Women Unite” was an organized march to call on legislators to support equal rights for women, lesbian/bisexual/transgender women, women of color, immigrant women, Muslim women, women with disabilities and women with low or fixed income. The goal of the march was to stand up for equality for millions of women who continue to be denied basic human rights simply because they are female. Event participants delivered powerful messages to Utah legislators and proclaimed that they are ready “to defend the progress their mothers and grandmothers fought for" (Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune, January 23, 2017).
Within 24 hours of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Global Women’s March began because they are deeply concerned about women’s civil rights and liberties being taken away or reduced by Trump’s “backwards agenda.” The fear is familiar to a Utah Woman leader and Human Rights attorney, Kate Kelly, one of the “Utah Women Unite” co-founder and event organizer who stated, “I’m sick and tired of men making laws about our bodies and our choices and our lives without consulting us!” (Vaglanos, The Huffington Post, January 25, 2017).
Within 24 hours of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Global Women’s March began because they are deeply concerned about women’s civil rights and liberties being taken away or reduced by Trump’s “backwards agenda.” The fear is familiar to a Utah Woman leader and Human Rights attorney, Kate Kelly, one of the “Utah Women Unite” co-founder and event organizer who stated, “I’m sick and tired of men making laws about our bodies and our choices and our lives without consulting us!” (Vaglanos, The Huffington Post, January 25, 2017).
A group of Deaf women at the Utah State Capitol
Today, the majority of Utah's "all-male Republican" legislative leaders are over 140 years old (Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune, January 23, 2017). Travel back to the 1800s, when women were involved in politics and pushed for equal rights, including the opportunity to vote. They were known as "suffragists." They dominated Utah politics and were committed to women's rights advancement.
Susan B. Anthony with suffrage leaders from Utah and elsewhere. Women Suffrage in Utah
Emily Sophia Tanner Richards was the one who proposed that Utah organize a suffrage group to be affiliated with the National Woman Suffrage Association. She also formed friendships with such leaders as Susan B. Anthony, Anna Howard Shaw and Carrie Chapman Catt (Toone, Deseret News, May 7, 2014). Emily's husband, Franklin S. Richards was a defender of equal suffrage.
Utah had the most members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association than any other state (Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, January 9, 2017). For many years, women were discouraged from obtaining an education or pursuing a professional career. They couldn't own property, keep their salary, or sign a contract.
Utah had the most members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association than any other state (Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, January 9, 2017). For many years, women were discouraged from obtaining an education or pursuing a professional career. They couldn't own property, keep their salary, or sign a contract.
Emily S. and Franklin S. Richards, leaders in Utah's suffrage movement. Photo courtesy of Utah State Historical Society
Woman's Exponent Newspaper
Between 1872 and 1914, Woman's Exponent, a progressive newspaper was produced by and for Mormon women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Lula Greene Richards and Emmeline B. Wells served as editors. They printed the Exponent newspaper in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Exponent newspaper's mission was to uplift and strengthen Mormon women. The press covered women's suffrage, plural marriage (Polygamy was abolished in 1890), and social/political issues throughout the publication. The Woman's Exponent came to an end in 1914 after 42 years of publication due to financial difficulties (Brooks, Steenblik, & Wheelwright, 2016).
Lula Greene Richards @ Utah Communication History Encyclopedia
At the time, Brigham Young, Utah Governor and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encouraged women to study and work. He said, "We believe that women are useful, not only sweep houses, wash dishes, make beds, and raise babies, but they should be stand behind the counter, study law or physic, or become good bookkeepers and be able to the business in any counting house, and all this to enlarge their sphere of usefulness for the benefit of society at large. In the following things, they but answer the design of their creation" (Brooks, Steenblik & Wheelwright, 2016).
During President Young's presidency, many women worked. Many of them were advanced in achieving their educational and career goals and pushing political agendas while practicing polygamy. They included activists, physicians, educators, professors, writers, and politicians (Brooks, Steenblik & Wheelwright, 2016). According to historians, Mormon feminists have existed for as long as Mormonism has been since the LDS church was founded in 1830 (Havens, The Spectrum, February 24, 2018). According to historians, Mormon feminists have existed for as long as Mormonism has been since the LDS church was founded in 1830 (Havens, The Spectrum, February 24, 2018).
During President Young's presidency, many women worked. Many of them were advanced in achieving their educational and career goals and pushing political agendas while practicing polygamy. They included activists, physicians, educators, professors, writers, and politicians (Brooks, Steenblik & Wheelwright, 2016). According to historians, Mormon feminists have existed for as long as Mormonism has been since the LDS church was founded in 1830 (Havens, The Spectrum, February 24, 2018). According to historians, Mormon feminists have existed for as long as Mormonism has been since the LDS church was founded in 1830 (Havens, The Spectrum, February 24, 2018).
Emmeline B. Wells @ PBS.org
"The future will deal more generously with womankind, and the historian of the present age will find it very embarrassing to ignore woman."
~Emmeline B. Wells~
~Emmeline B. Wells~
During President Young's presidency, many women worked. Many of them were advanced in terms of achieving their educational and career goals, as well as pushing political agendas, while practicing polygamy. They included activists, physicians, educators, professors, writers, and politicians (Brooks, Steenblik & Wheelwright, 2016). According to historians, Mormon feminists have existed for as long as Mormonism has been since the LDS church was founded in 1830 (Havens, The Spectrum, February 24, 2018). According to historians, Mormon feminists have existed for as long as Mormonism has been since the LDS church was founded in 1830. (Havens, The Spectrum, February 24, 2018).
By 1920, however, women had begun to lose power and influence in politics and the church. To meet global expansion objectives, the LDS Church collaborated with the Relief Society, one of the world's oldest and largest women's organizations, in the 1960s. Between 1960 and 1970, male leaders took charge of the Relief Society's programming, finances, and publications. The church embraced the traditional family structure between 1970 and 1980, discouraging women from working outside the home. A large number of women choose to stay at home and raise their children in a short period of time (Brooks, Steenblik & Wheelwright, 2016). Women in Utah currently attend college at a lower rate than women across the country.
In the 100 years from 1870 to 1970, the trend went backwards. The history of Mormon women's leadership was buried and forgotten until the early 1970s, when Boston Mormon feminists revived the Women's Exponent publication. Better Days 2020 is a non-profit organization founded by Neylan McBaine with the goal of increasing awareness and recognizing women's leadership accomplishments in Utah. They also want to make Utah a better place for women in the future.
By 1920, however, women had begun to lose power and influence in politics and the church. To meet global expansion objectives, the LDS Church collaborated with the Relief Society, one of the world's oldest and largest women's organizations, in the 1960s. Between 1960 and 1970, male leaders took charge of the Relief Society's programming, finances, and publications. The church embraced the traditional family structure between 1970 and 1980, discouraging women from working outside the home. A large number of women choose to stay at home and raise their children in a short period of time (Brooks, Steenblik & Wheelwright, 2016). Women in Utah currently attend college at a lower rate than women across the country.
In the 100 years from 1870 to 1970, the trend went backwards. The history of Mormon women's leadership was buried and forgotten until the early 1970s, when Boston Mormon feminists revived the Women's Exponent publication. Better Days 2020 is a non-profit organization founded by Neylan McBaine with the goal of increasing awareness and recognizing women's leadership accomplishments in Utah. They also want to make Utah a better place for women in the future.
Original Woman's Exponent newspapers. It was taken at the 'Better Days 2020' Festival.
Woman's Exponent II
Magazine & Blog
During the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ratification period (1972-1982), one of the Boston Mormon feminists, Susan Kohler disovered the collection of Exponent at the Widener Library at Harvard University and the Boston Public Library. The Exponent newspaper inspired them, including Dr. Claudia Lauper Bushman and Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich to launch Exponent II magazine in July 1974. They proclaimed it, "The spiritual descendant of the Woman's Exponent." Claudia Bushman wrote, "We found in our foremothers who spoke out the models we were searching for in our own lives." Exponent II aims to 'strengthen the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to encourage and develop the talents of Mormon women.' This press also focuses on concerns and experiences of diverse Mormon women from a feminist perspective. Nowadays, Exponent II continues to publish quarterly as the longest-running independent publication by and for Mormon women (Brooks, Steenblik & Wheelwright, 2016). See the link of Exponent II for more information.
Claudia Lauper Bushman @ Fairmormon.org
Three years after women were granted the right to vote in 1920, Alice Paul, a leader of the women's suffrage campaign and a women's rights activist, proposed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1923 as the next step in giving "equal justice under law" to all people. The purpose of the ERA was to ensure that the United States Constitution safeguarded women's rights. Since 1923, the ERA was proposed in every session of Congress, and it was finally ratified in 1972. However, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opposed due to moral issue and blocked the vote when it arrived to Utah in 1977.
In 1982, the ratification deadline for the ERA expired. Despite a deadline extension, the ERA was only passed by 35 of the required 38 states (Francis, 2018). Under the United States Constitution, women are still denied equal rights and protection.
In 2017, Nevada became the 36th state to adopt the ERA after nearly 40 years of delay. In 2018, Illinois became the 37th state to pass the ERA. Virginia became the 38th and final state to ratify the ERA in 2020. The ERA resolution was introduced twice in Utah, by House Sponsor Rep. Rebecca Chaves-Houck and Senator Jim Dabakis D-Salt Lake City, but both times it was defeated. The Utah Legislature declined to acknowledge women as equal citizens under the law once again in 2020.
In 1982, the ratification deadline for the ERA expired. Despite a deadline extension, the ERA was only passed by 35 of the required 38 states (Francis, 2018). Under the United States Constitution, women are still denied equal rights and protection.
In 2017, Nevada became the 36th state to adopt the ERA after nearly 40 years of delay. In 2018, Illinois became the 37th state to pass the ERA. Virginia became the 38th and final state to ratify the ERA in 2020. The ERA resolution was introduced twice in Utah, by House Sponsor Rep. Rebecca Chaves-Houck and Senator Jim Dabakis D-Salt Lake City, but both times it was defeated. The Utah Legislature declined to acknowledge women as equal citizens under the law once again in 2020.
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich @ ldswomenofgod.com
In 1895, Utah, strangely enough, enacted its own Equal Rights Amendment. In Utah, women already enjoy equal rights and protection. The Utah Constitution declares that "all civil, political, and religious rights and benefits shall be equally enjoyed by both male and female citizens of this State" (Article IV, Section 1). As a result, Utah has a chance to ratify the federal Equal Rights Amendment as the second state to do so (Quist, The Salt Lake Tribune, October 3, 2019). Nevertheless, the Utah Legislature did not choose to recognize women as equal citizens under the law in 2020 and 2021.
The next step is to remove the deadline set in 1982, allowing the Equal Rights Amendment to become a permanent part of the United States Constitution. Seventy percent of Utah residents and 94 percent of Americans support the Equal Rights Amendment. Every other developed country, with the exception of the United States, has a gender equality clause. Furthermore, since 1950, every international constitution, including Afghanistan's, has had an ERA-like provision (Rich, 2020).
For additional information, visit "From Housewives to Protestors: The Story of Mormons for the Equal Rights Amendment" on the Mormons for the Equal Rights Amendment website.
The next step is to remove the deadline set in 1982, allowing the Equal Rights Amendment to become a permanent part of the United States Constitution. Seventy percent of Utah residents and 94 percent of Americans support the Equal Rights Amendment. Every other developed country, with the exception of the United States, has a gender equality clause. Furthermore, since 1950, every international constitution, including Afghanistan's, has had an ERA-like provision (Rich, 2020).
For additional information, visit "From Housewives to Protestors: The Story of Mormons for the Equal Rights Amendment" on the Mormons for the Equal Rights Amendment website.
Alice Paul @ Biography.com
The presidents of the Relief Society and the Young Women's Association petitioned their senators to endorse the ERA on March 13, 1943. We have a history of supporting the ERA. This source was discovered thanks to researcher Ardis E. Parshall.
Returning to history, the Territory of Wyoming was the first to give the women's suffrage movement the right to vote on December 10, 1869, quickly followed by Utah Territory on February 12, 1870 (History.com, December 10, 1869: Wyoming Grants Women The Vote, 2009; Jan, The Suffrage Movement, February 23, 2009).
Women were allowed the right to vote for the first time in Wyoming's next election, held in September 1870. Utah women were the first to cast ballots in that year's election, which occurred on February 14th. They polled seven months earlier than Wyoming women. Women in Utah were also the first in the modern United States to vote (Clark, Better Days 2020).
Women made up the majority of voters in Utah Territory during the election (Jan, The Suffrage Movement, February 23, 2009). On February 14, 1870, Seraph Young Ford, a schoolteacher and granddaughter of Brigham Young, became the first woman in the United States to vote lawfully (Clark, Better Days 2020).
Long before the federal law, the 19th Amendment, granted American women the right to vote in 1920, the Utah Women's Suffrage Movement won the right to vote twice: once in 1870 and again in 1895. Utah inhabitants, including women, voted in their first national election after the state became a state on January 4, 1896. After Wyoming (July 23, 1890) and Colorado (July 23, 1891), Utah became the third state to grant suffrage (November 7, 1893). In the same year, the Utah School for the Deaf was relocated to Ogden from Salt Lake City.
Women were allowed the right to vote for the first time in Wyoming's next election, held in September 1870. Utah women were the first to cast ballots in that year's election, which occurred on February 14th. They polled seven months earlier than Wyoming women. Women in Utah were also the first in the modern United States to vote (Clark, Better Days 2020).
Women made up the majority of voters in Utah Territory during the election (Jan, The Suffrage Movement, February 23, 2009). On February 14, 1870, Seraph Young Ford, a schoolteacher and granddaughter of Brigham Young, became the first woman in the United States to vote lawfully (Clark, Better Days 2020).
Long before the federal law, the 19th Amendment, granted American women the right to vote in 1920, the Utah Women's Suffrage Movement won the right to vote twice: once in 1870 and again in 1895. Utah inhabitants, including women, voted in their first national election after the state became a state on January 4, 1896. After Wyoming (July 23, 1890) and Colorado (July 23, 1891), Utah became the third state to grant suffrage (November 7, 1893). In the same year, the Utah School for the Deaf was relocated to Ogden from Salt Lake City.
Seraph Young votes at the Utah State Capitol building @ Better Days 2020
Utah State Senator Martha Hughes Cannon, 1899. LDS Church History Library
Martha Hughes Cannon, a Democrat, doctor, Utah women's rights champion, and suffragist, became the first female state senator in Utah and the United States on November 3, 1896, defeating her own husband, Angus Cannon, and her best friend, Emmeline B. Wells. She was a member of the state legislature for two terms. As a legislator, She sponsored two bills in the legislature, one to require Deaf and Blind students to attend Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, and the other to create a hospital on campus. Governor Heber Wells appointed Dr. Cannon to the Utah School for the Deaf and the Blind's board of directors. After leaving politics, she continued to serve on the board of the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind (Martha Hughes Cannon, Wikipedia, January 22, 2019).
In October 2015, legislators founded the Martha Hughes Cannon caucus in an effort to encourage more women in Utah to participate in government (Martha Hughes Cannon, Wikipedia, January 22, 2019).
As the nation celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Cannon's statue will be exhibited in the National Statuary Hall collection in Washington, DC in 2020.
In October 2015, legislators founded the Martha Hughes Cannon caucus in an effort to encourage more women in Utah to participate in government (Martha Hughes Cannon, Wikipedia, January 22, 2019).
As the nation celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Cannon's statue will be exhibited in the National Statuary Hall collection in Washington, DC in 2020.
The Utah State Senate in 1897, Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon standing to the left of center. Utah State Historical Society
Maud May Babcock. Special Collections Dept. J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
Maud May Babcock, a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was the university's first female professor. She began teaching at the institution in 1892 and stayed for 46 years. She was the first woman to serve as the Senate Chaplain in Utah (Maud Babcock, Wikipedia, December 28, 2018). She served for two decades on the board of the Utah School for Deaf and Blind, including 12 years as president (Toone, Deseret News, May 7, 2014). As of 2017, half the state's population, women hold roughly 1 in 7 legislative seats, one of the worst ratios in the country (Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune, January 23, 2017).
In the wake of the Global Women’s March, a mighty few of the Utah Deaf women seized the opportunity to participate in the local march and they were: Roberta Dunlap Bolanos, Chrystee Davenport, Jennifer Allen-Kelly, Jodi Becker Kinner, Carol Sanderson, Stephanie Mathis, Sari Williams, and Millicent "Millie" Simmonds (a Deaf actress). Deaf women continue to face obstacles in achieving gender equality. Their lives haven't always been easy. Deaf women have also come a long way, gaining the right to vote, getting an education, finding work, and much more.
In the wake of the Global Women’s March, a mighty few of the Utah Deaf women seized the opportunity to participate in the local march and they were: Roberta Dunlap Bolanos, Chrystee Davenport, Jennifer Allen-Kelly, Jodi Becker Kinner, Carol Sanderson, Stephanie Mathis, Sari Williams, and Millicent "Millie" Simmonds (a Deaf actress). Deaf women continue to face obstacles in achieving gender equality. Their lives haven't always been easy. Deaf women have also come a long way, gaining the right to vote, getting an education, finding work, and much more.
A group of the Utah Women Unite participants at the Utah State Capitol. Two Deaf participants are seating on the right side. One in her black coat is Millie Simmonds and Carol
Sanderson is sitting next to her. Credit: Utah Women Unite website
Deaf Women Leaders in Utah
It is possible that the suffrage movement in Utah influenced Deaf women's educational and political ambitions From the late 1800s to the early 1900s. For example, in 1909, Elizabeth DeLong, also known as Libbie, became the first Deaf female president of the Utah Association of the Deaf, defeating two Deaf male candidates. This is remarkable because women did not have the right to vote for a decade until the 19th amendment was ratified in 1920, and Deaf women members were not allowed to vote in the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) election until 1965. She was also the first Deaf female president of a NAD state chapter association in the United States.
Elizabeth DeLong, 1st Female President of the Utah Association of the Deaf @ FamilySearch
Libbie presented a talk advocating women's suffrage at the UAD Convention in 1915, after serving a second term as president. It's believed that Libbie was influenced by the early Utah suffrage movement in order to fulfill her scholastic, political, and spiritual goals.
In October 2019, Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind announced the opening of a new Deaf School in Springville, Utah, after receiving approval from the Utah State Board of Education and the USDB Advisory Council. The "Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf," as it is called, is named after Elizabeth DeLong. The school first opened its doors on January 6, 2020. What a wonderful way to pay tribute to Elizabeth DeLong's legacy!
Looking back, Libbie was the first to achieve many of her ambitions, and she has continued to inspire people both then and now. Utah is fortunate to have her as a leadership role for the Deaf community in the state.
In October 2019, Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind announced the opening of a new Deaf School in Springville, Utah, after receiving approval from the Utah State Board of Education and the USDB Advisory Council. The "Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf," as it is called, is named after Elizabeth DeLong. The school first opened its doors on January 6, 2020. What a wonderful way to pay tribute to Elizabeth DeLong's legacy!
Looking back, Libbie was the first to achieve many of her ambitions, and she has continued to inspire people both then and now. Utah is fortunate to have her as a leadership role for the Deaf community in the state.
Emma M. Emmertson. The Utah Eagle, June 6, 1907
Emma M. Emmertson was a Deaf suffragette during the Women’s Rights Movement in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Mary Wooslayer @ Utah Eagle, June 6, 1907
Mary Wooslayer was the first Deaf female student to enter the University of Utah in 1910 who graduated with a bachelor’s degree. While a student, Mary was under the sponsorship of Maud May Babcock, a member of the Utah School for the Deaf board of trustees and a faculty member at the University of Utah (Mary Woolslayer Photograph Collection, 1890).
Justina W. Keeley. Salt Lake City Division No. 56, October 15, 1966
Since the establishment of Gallaudet College in 1864, women couldn’t attend college until 1887 (US History Encyclopedia: Gallaudet University). Since the founding of the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf (NFSD) in 1901, women, including Justina W. Keeley, who discovered NFSD for Utah, were denied admission to the organization and full memberships. They were not allowed to purchase a regular insurance membership as men. It was not until 1951 that the NFSD agreed that women could receive regular insurance membership during the NFSD convention in Chicago, Illinois (Records of National Fraternal Society of the Deaf, 1900-2006).
Kim Lucas, 2nd Female President of the Utah Association of the Deaf
Finally, on September 7, 2019, during the UAD Conference, Kim Lucas became the second woman to be elected president of the Utah Association of the Deaf, after over 100 years of men serving as the president.
My sincere wish is to witness the first female President of the United States in the near future. Women have accomplished so much throughout the years, and we are now one step closer to electing a female president of the United States.
My sincere wish is to witness the first female President of the United States in the near future. Women have accomplished so much throughout the years, and we are now one step closer to electing a female president of the United States.
@The Transformed Wife
I've included a list of things that today's young ladies take for granted that women previously couldn't do:
- Women couldn’t vote until 1920.
- Married women couldn’t prescribe birth control until 1965.
- Women couldn’t get divorce easily until 1969. It was difficult to divorce for physical abuse or adultery.
- Women couldn’t practice law until 1971.
- Women couldn’t run the marathon until 1972.
- Women couldn’t get abortions throughout the country until 1973.
- Women couldn’t own credit cards under their own names until 1974.
- Women couldn’t serve on juries in all states until 1973. Utah deemed women fit for jury duty way back in 1879.
- Women couldn’t join military academics until 1976.
- Women couldn’t report workplace discrimination on the basis of pregnancy until 1978. They could be fired for being pregnant.
- Women couldn’t report workplace discrimination on the basis of pregnancy until 1978.
- Women couldn’t sue for sexual harassment until 1980.
- Women couldn’t report rape at the hands of their husbands until 1993.
- Women couldn’t protect themselves from domestic violence until 1994.
- Women couldn’t serve in active combat until 2013.
- Women couldn’t get the emergency contraception known as Plan B until 1998. As of 2016, you couldn’t find it in the drugstore aisles.
We owe a debt of gratitude to feminist organizations that fought for us. Women have come a long way in their fight for equal rights. Women are still striving for equality today, as evidenced by the following examples:
Unfortunately, women's rights back then was viewed as ridiculous and it still applies to the condition of women's rights today. Sharon Weeks, an author of her "It seems to me: What young women may not know" article, observed that many young women, who have little understanding of women's history, are satisfied with their status quo. She basically emphasized the importance of being educated about women's rights issues and to challenge their status quo (Weeks, Leader-Telegram, February 19, 2017). The young women's apathetic attitude could have significant impact on our future daughters and granddaughters in the long run.
Having said that, it's crucial to remember that the women's rights movement restored the most fundamental of human rights. Let us band together to support women's rights, which are a basic human right for everyone!
- Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) - failed to be ratified in the United States. The proposed ERA asserts that the Constitution's guarantees of rights apply equally to all people, regardless of their gender. It was passed by the United States Congress in 1972, but it fell three states short of the 38 required for ratification by the deadline of June 30, 1982. In the 1970s, Utah was a vocal opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment.
- Gender wage gap
- Physical security (free/prevent from domestic violence, sexual assault and sexual harassment). We have our Sego Lily Center for the Deaf Abused available in Salt Lake City, Utah ~ slcad.org and www.utahdeafhistory.com/sego-lily-center-for-the-abused-deaf.html
- Affordable Housing - women tend to have high level of poverty. The need for safe and affordable housing is crucial.
- Access to quality healthcare, including reproductive services
- Necessarily access legal abortion
- Comprehensive sex education
- Human trafficking
- Racial injustice
- Paid maternity leave (The US is the only developed country that doesn’t require the companies to cover parental leave).
- Leadership roles - women still struggle to shatter the glass ceiling on leadership at all levels. Like Hillary Clinton, for example.
Unfortunately, women's rights back then was viewed as ridiculous and it still applies to the condition of women's rights today. Sharon Weeks, an author of her "It seems to me: What young women may not know" article, observed that many young women, who have little understanding of women's history, are satisfied with their status quo. She basically emphasized the importance of being educated about women's rights issues and to challenge their status quo (Weeks, Leader-Telegram, February 19, 2017). The young women's apathetic attitude could have significant impact on our future daughters and granddaughters in the long run.
Having said that, it's crucial to remember that the women's rights movement restored the most fundamental of human rights. Let us band together to support women's rights, which are a basic human right for everyone!
A slideshow of the Utah Women's March in
Salt Lake City, Utah
January 23, 2017
Rally in Utah State Capitol Puts
Focus on Equal Rights Amendment
Focus on Equal Rights Amendment
State Representative Karen Kwan, D-Taylorsville hoped Utah would make history as 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). On December 3, 2019, around 200 supporters, including Deaf advocates, Kim Smith, UAD President, Robert Belshe, SLCAD President, Brooke Groosinger, UAD Board member, Honor Belshe (Robert’s 15-year old daughter), and Jodi Becker Kinner joined the Utah State Capitol to support Rep. Kwan when introducing legislation for Utah to ratify the ERA to the Constitution of the United States in 2020. It was a memorable day for us, and it was also an honor to be a part of history.
L-R: Julie Loder, ASL Interpreter, Jodi Becker Kinner, Rep. Karen Kwan, Kim, Smith, Brooke Groosinger, Honor Belshe, and Robert Belshe
State Rep. Karen Kwan, D-Taylorsville, introduced a bill Tuesday that would ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Utah. The ERA adds language to the U.S. Constitution on equal rights for all people regardless of sex. ROCIO HERNANDEZ / KUER
History of Equal Rights
Amendment in Video, 2020
Amendment in Video, 2020
A Slideshow of Representative Karen Kwan
introducing a resolution for Utah to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution of the United States in 2020 at the Utah State Capitol
December 3, 2019
introducing a resolution for Utah to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution of the United States in 2020 at the Utah State Capitol
December 3, 2019
Utah Women's Equality Day
August 26, 2021
Danielle and Jodi (Mother & Daughter)
Read the attached articles for more information about the women's equality issues:
To know and protect your rights, you might want to subscribe to the following newsletters and petitions:
- Utah Women United - https://utahwomenunite.com
- Fair Utah - fairutah.org
- National Women Law Center - http://www.nwlc.org
- Equality Now - www.equalitynow.org
- National Organization for Women - https://now.org
- League of Women Voters - https://www.lwv.org
- Equal Rights Amendment - www.equalrightsamendment.org
- Equal Means Equal - http://equalmeansequal.org
- ERA Coalition - http://www.eracoalition.org
- Alice Paul Institute - https://www.alicepaul.org
References
Brooks, Joanna, Steenblik Rachel Hunt and Wheelwright, Hannah. "Mormon Feminism Essential Writing." Oxford University Press, 2016.
Clark, Rebekah. First Woman to Vote in Utah and the Modern Nation. Better Days 2020. https://www.utahwomenshistory.org/bios/seraph-young/
Gallaudet University Library Deaf Collections and Archives, "Records of National Fraternal Society of the Deaf, 1900-2006."
Francis, Roberta. "The Equal Rights Amendment: Frequently Asked Questions." The Equal Rights Amendment. www.equalrightsamendment.org
Gehrke, Robert. “Gehrke: Utah lawmakers should heed remarkable women’s march as call to action.” The Salt Lake Tribune, January 23, 2017.
Havens, Emily. "Mormon and feminists: Not an oxymoron - a rich history." The Spectrum, February 24, 2018. https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2018/02/24/mormon-and-feminist-not-oxymoron-rich-history-lds-church/345375002/
History.com Staff. "December 10, 1869: Wyoming Grants Women The Vote." History.com, 2009. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wyoming-grants-women-the-vote
Jan. "The Suffrage Movement," February 23, 2009. http://www.ldswomenofgod.com/2009/02/23/the-suffrage-movement/
"Martha Hughes Cannon," Wikipedia, January 22, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Hughes_Cannon
Mary Woolslayer Photograph Collection. (1890). J. Willard Marriot Library, University of Utah. Collection Number UU_P0669.
"Maud Babcock," Wikipedia, December 28, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_Babcock
Pemberton, Jennifer. "When the Equal Rights Amendment Came to Utah." Utah Public Radio, August 25, 2016. http://www.upr.org/post/when-equal-rights-amendment-came-utah
Rich, Amy, (2020). The ERA Deadline Removal Reasons.
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Rich, Amy, (2020). The ERA Deadline Removal Reasons.
Stack, Peggy Fletcher. “New book explores an early Mormon dichotomy: Women defending polygamy while pushing a feminist agenda.” The Salt Lake Tribune, January 9, 2017.
Toone, Trent. "10 remarkable women in LDS Church history." Deseret News, May 7, 2014. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865602558/10-remarkable-women-in-LDS-Church-history.html
Quist, Michelle. "Michelle Quist: For the Conservation Case for the Equal Rights Amendement." The Salt Lake Tribune, October 3, 2019. https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2019/10/03/michelle-quist/
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Vaglanos, Alanna. “Thousands Marched On Utah State Capitol Calling For Women’s Equality.” The Huffington Post, January 25, 2017.
Weeks, Sharon. "It seems to me: What young women may not know." Leader-Telegram, February 19, 2017. http://www.leadertelegram.com/Opinion/Commentary/2017/02/05/lt-div-class-libPageBodyLinebreak-gt-What-young-women-may-not-know-lt-div-gt.html