Accolades of the Early Utah Deaf & Non-Deaf Women's History
Written by Jodi Becker Kinner
Published in 2017
Updated in 2019
Updated again in 2023
Note
Jodi Becker Kinner, the website's author and an advocate and enthusiast for the Equal Rights Amendment, believes it is critical that we recognize and credit the achievements of early Utah women throughout history because women are socially, economically, professionally, and politically marginalized. Following that, we'll learn about Utah women's achievements, notably in leadership. It's an excellent way to remember them and appreciate their legacy. Finally, we will look at the history and leadership of equal rights for everyone and strategies to get more people active in politics to safeguard equal rights.
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 webpage is not intended to be critical of former U.S. President Donald J. Trump. Rather, it's aimed to provide readers with a better understanding of the challenges women experience when trying to speak out against the injustices, inequality, sexism, misogyny, and oppression they have endured over the years in a male-dominated political system.
The Global Women’s March
It was a march that was "heard" around the world. The Global Women's March took place on Saturday, January 21, 2017, when an estimated 2.6 million people worldwide united and marched with women and families to raise their voices concerning women's inequality. Two days later, on 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. It was the first day of Utah's legislative session. "Utah Women Unite" was an organized march to call on legislators to support equal rights for women, LGBTQ+, women of color, immigrant women, Muslim women, women with disabilities, and women with low or fixed income. The march's goal was to stand up for equality for millions of women who continue to be denied fundamental human rights simply because they are female. Participants in the event sent strong messages to Utah lawmakers and said they were 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 J. Trump's inauguration, the Global Women's March began because they were deeply concerned about women's civil rights and liberties being taken away or reduced by Trump's "backwards agenda." Kate Kelly, an American activist, Mormon feminist who founded Ordain Women, and human rights attorney who also co-founded and organized the "Utah Women Unite" event, expressed her concern by saying, "I'm sick and tired of men making laws about our bodies, our choices, and our lives without consulting us!" (Vaglanos, The Huffington Post, January 25, 2017).
Within 24 hours of President Donald J. Trump's inauguration, the Global Women's March began because they were deeply concerned about women's civil rights and liberties being taken away or reduced by Trump's "backwards agenda." Kate Kelly, an American activist, Mormon feminist who founded Ordain Women, and human rights attorney who also co-founded and organized the "Utah Women Unite" event, expressed her concern by saying, "I'm sick and tired of men making laws about our bodies, our choices, and our lives without consulting us!" (Vaglanos, The Huffington Post, January 25, 2017).
A group of ASL/Deaf Women at the Utah Women's March in the Utah State Capitol on January 23, 2017. Back Row: L-R: Jennifer Allen-Kelly, Sari Stewart Williams, Dawn Duran (ASL Interpreter), Stephanie Lowder Mathis, and Chrystee Call Davenport. Front Row L-R: Shandra Benito, Jodi Becker Kinner, Millicent "Millie" Simmonds (a Deaf actress), and Carol Sanderson
Utah Women's Suffrage Movement
During the 1800s, women in Utah were politically active and fought for equal rights, including the right to vote. As a result, they were referred to as "suffragists." It is well known that Utah served as a model for women's rights, and key figures in Utah politics at the time made significant contributions to the cause.
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). In addition, Emily's husband, Franklin S. Richards, was a defender of equal suffrage.
Compared to other states, Utah has the most members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, January 9, 2017). Women were prevented from pursuing higher education or a career at the time. They were also prohibited from signing contracts, keeping their jobs, or owning property.
Compared to other states, Utah has the most members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, January 9, 2017). Women were prevented from pursuing higher education or a career at the time. They were also prohibited from signing contracts, keeping their jobs, or owning property.
Emily S. and Franklin S. Richards, leaders in Utah's suffrage movement. Photo courtesy of Utah State Historical Society
Woman's Exponent,
a Progressive Newspaper
Between 1872 and 1914, the 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. Due to financial difficulties, The Woman's Exponent ended in 1914 after 42 years of publication (Brooks, Steenblik, & Wheelwright, 2016).
Between 1872 and 1914, the 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. Due to financial difficulties, The Woman's Exponent ended in 1914 after 42 years of publication (Brooks, Steenblik, & Wheelwright, 2016).Between 1872 and 1914, the 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. Due to financial difficulties, The Woman's Exponent ended in 1914 after 42 years of publication (Brooks, Steenblik, & Wheelwright, 2016).
Between 1872 and 1914, the 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. Due to financial difficulties, The Woman's Exponent ended in 1914 after 42 years of publication (Brooks, Steenblik, & Wheelwright, 2016).Between 1872 and 1914, the 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. Due to financial difficulties, The Woman's Exponent ended in 1914 after 42 years of publication (Brooks, Steenblik, & Wheelwright, 2016).
Lula Greene Richards @ Utah Communication History Encyclopedia
Then-Utah Governor and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Brigham Young advocated for women to pursue education and career. He stated, "We believe that women are useful, not only to sweep houses, wash dishes, make beds, and raise babies, but they should also be able to stand behind the counter, study law or physics, or become good bookkeepers, or be able to do business in any counting house, all this to increase their sphere of usefulness for the benefit of society at large" (Brooks, Steenblik & Wheelwright, 2016).
During President Young's presidency, women worked and pursued progressive careers in education level and line of work. In addition, many women advanced their political agendas while practicing polygamy and pursuing their academic and professional ambitions. In addition to activism, they held roles in academia, medicine, teaching, writing, and politics (Brooks, Steenblik, & Wheelwright, 2016). According to historians, Mormon feminists have existed for as long as Mormonism has since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded in 1830 (Havens, The Spectrum, February 24, 2018).
During President Young's presidency, women worked and pursued progressive careers in education level and line of work. In addition, many women advanced their political agendas while practicing polygamy and pursuing their academic and professional ambitions. In addition to activism, they held roles in academia, medicine, teaching, writing, and politics (Brooks, Steenblik, & Wheelwright, 2016). According to historians, Mormon feminists have existed for as long as Mormonism has since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 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~
The church and politics, however, had seen a decline in women's power and status by 1920, and this trend continued slowly after that. In the 1960s, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worked with the Relief Society, one of the world's oldest and largest women's groups, to reach its goals for global development. Between 1960 and 1970, men supervised the Relief Society's finances, operations, and publications. Between 1970 and 1980, the church embraced the traditional family structure and discouraged women from having careers outside the home. Many mothers complied with the church and raised their children at home (Brooks, Steenblik, & Wheelwright, 2016). Although there has been a rise in the number of mothers over time, Utahn women enroll in college at a lower rate than women nationwide.
The trend reversed throughout the 100-year period from 1870 to 1970. The legacy of Latter-day Saint women's leadership and accomplishments had been lost and forgotten until the Boston Mormon feminists, as they were known, began publishing the Women's Exponent magazines in the early 1970s. Furthermore, Neylan McBaine founded the nonprofit organization "Better Days 2020" to recognize and promote the achievements of women in Utah leadership. They also aim to elevate women's status in Utah.
The trend reversed throughout the 100-year period from 1870 to 1970. The legacy of Latter-day Saint women's leadership and accomplishments had been lost and forgotten until the Boston Mormon feminists, as they were known, began publishing the Women's Exponent magazines in the early 1970s. Furthermore, Neylan McBaine founded the nonprofit organization "Better Days 2020" to recognize and promote the achievements of women in Utah leadership. They also aim to elevate women's status in Utah.
Original Woman's Exponent newspapers. It was taken at the 'Better Days 2020' Festival.
The Relaunch of the
Woman's Exponent II Magazine & Blog
During the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ratification period (1972-1982), Susan Kohler, a Boston Mormon feminist, discovered a collection of Exponent newspapers written by feminist-minded Mormon women at Harvard University's Widener Library and the Boston Public Library. The Exponent newspapers inspired Dr. Claudia Lauper Bushman and Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich to launch Exponent II magazine, the longest-running independent publication for Latter-day Saint women, in July 1974.
Claudia Lauper Bushman @ Fairmormon.org
The Boston Mormon Feminists 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 the concerns and experiences of diverse Mormon women from a feminist perspective. Exponent II publishes quarterly as the longest-running independent publication by and for Mormon women (Brooks, Steenblik & Wheelwright, 2016). See the link to Exponent II for more information.
An interesting fact is that in 1976, Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a Mormon feminist, a prize-winning historian, and a Harvard University professor, is credited with coining the phrase, "Well-behaved women seldom make history," which has since taken on a life of its own and has been used on greeting cards, T-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers, and more.
An interesting fact is that in 1976, Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a Mormon feminist, a prize-winning historian, and a Harvard University professor, is credited with coining the phrase, "Well-behaved women seldom make history," which has since taken on a life of its own and has been used on greeting cards, T-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers, and more.
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich @ ldswomenofgod.com
The Century-Long Battle
to Pass the Equal Rights Amendment
to Pass the Equal Rights Amendment
Three years after women were granted the right to vote in 1920, Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman, attorneys, civil rights activists, and women's suffrage movement pioneers, were dissatisfied with the basic right to vote provided by the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in 1920. So, they, as the leaders of the National Women's Party, wrote the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and introduced it to those attending the 75th anniversary of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York, on July 22, 1923, and to the U.S. Congress in December of that same year as the next step toward "equal justice under the law" for everyone. The ERA would also protect individuals against sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation discrimination, as well as women's rights and personal freedoms, advance equality, and defend democracy for all Americans. The first proposal that year, however, failed. Despite yearly efforts, U.S. Congress finally passed the ERA by the required two-thirds vote of the United States House and Senate on March 22, 1972, and handed it to the states for ratification. The proposed amendment required the ratification of 38 states (three-fourths of the states required by Article V) within a seven-year time frame. Only 35 states completed the ratification before the 1979 deadline, making it three states short. To complete the ratification process, the U.S. Congress granted a three-year extension from 1979 to 1982. At the beginning of 1972, many states quickly moved to pass it, but when it came to Utah in 1977, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints objected on moral grounds and blocked the vote. More information on how Mormon women responded to the ERA during the International Women's Year in 1975 and the National Women's Conference in 1977 can be found in the document "Mormon Feminism in 1977 and Today."
Alice Paul @ Biography.com
After a decade of legislative battles over gender equality, bodily autonomy, reproductive healthcare, access to contraception, same-sex marriage, the right to live as a transgender person, the female military draft, gender-neutral restrooms, and other issues, no more states had ratified the ERA. By June 30, 1982, only 35 states had ratified the ERA, falling three short of the required 38 states for incorporation into the U.S. Constitution, and five states had voted to rescind its approval. As a result, women continued to be denied equal rights and protection under the U.S. Constitution. After nearly four decades of waiting, the failure to extend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (which expired in 2018 and was reauthorized in 2022), the 2017 #MeToo Movement, and the 2017 Women's March reenergized ratification efforts, and Nevada became the 36th state to enact the ERA in 2017. In 2018, Illinois became the 37th state to ratify the ERA. Virginia became the 38th state in 2020 and the final state to ratify the ERA, meeting the threshold for ratification.
Utah has attempted to pass an ERA resolution and failed multiple times. The Utah Legislature still declined to recognize women as legal equals. The leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints argued in writing and through lobbying efforts that the law would increase abortions, introduce unisex restrooms, and harm families.
Utah has attempted to pass an ERA resolution and failed multiple times. The Utah Legislature still declined to recognize women as legal equals. The leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints argued in writing and through lobbying efforts that the law would increase abortions, introduce unisex restrooms, and harm families.
Crystal Eastman @ Wikipedia
The next step is to repeal the 1982 deadline, making the ERA a permanent part of the U.S. Constitution. Hundreds of constitutional experts agree that the ERA has fulfilled all requirements outlined in the Constitution to become an amendment: passage by two-thirds of Congress in 1972 and ratification by three-fourths (38) states in 2020. Moreover, most Americans support the ERA and feel it should be written into the U.S. Constitution. Representative Cori Bush of Missouri and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, both ERA advocates, argued that there is no mention of timelines in the Constitution and that the Executive Branch has no role in stopping an amendment. For instance, it took 203 years (1789–1992) for the 27th Amendment to become law. You read that right—203 years! Likewise, it has been a hundred years and counting since the Equal Rights Amendment was ratified. The ERA has met both requirements to amend the Constitution and should therefore be published in the Constitution. However, the Trump Administration's Office of Legal Counsel, National Archivist, and Justice Department used the deadline to block the final enshrinement of the ERA in the Constitution due to legal and political debates surrounding the deadline for ratification. The ERA is also in limbo because of legal issues that allow the U.S. Archivist to withhold certification despite the U.S. House of Representatives voting in favor of a Democratic-sponsored joint resolution to remove the 1982 deadline on February 13, 2020, and March 17, 2021. The Senators voted on April 26, 2023, against removing the amendment's arbitrary deadline, even though they have the power to change or remove it. 98 of the 100 Senators were present, and 52 of them voted to incorporate the ERA into the U.S. Constitution, falling short by eight votes due to an old rule known as "filibustering," which requires 60 votes. Every Democrat and two Republicans, Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, voted in favor of the ERA. Every other Republican Senator voted against it.
Furthermore, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah and the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, is an active blocker of certification efforts. On February 8, 2022, he and other ERA opponents wrote a letter insisting that the archivist not certify and publish the ERA, which denied women's full equality under the law in our Constitution. This block took away women's equal rights and made them second-class citizens. The ERA is the last line of defense against sex discrimination in all sectors, including gender equality, Title XI protections to the right to gender-affirming and reproductive healthcare, access to birth control and abortion, fertility treatments, LGBTQ+ protection rights, racial justice, equal pay, equal justice for sexual harassment and abuse, and so on. It has fueled the women's movement, especially for the younger generation advocating for gender equality and ensuring the protection of women's rights under the law. In 2019, Christine M. Durham, the first female appointed to the Utah Supreme Court, advised the next generation, "The torch is being passed from women of my generation to your generation, and it's very important to educate yourself about the future and the past" (Collett, 2019). Young people are spearheading the ERA movement, which is getting closer than ever to being formally recognized as a constitutional amendment.
Furthermore, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah and the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, is an active blocker of certification efforts. On February 8, 2022, he and other ERA opponents wrote a letter insisting that the archivist not certify and publish the ERA, which denied women's full equality under the law in our Constitution. This block took away women's equal rights and made them second-class citizens. The ERA is the last line of defense against sex discrimination in all sectors, including gender equality, Title XI protections to the right to gender-affirming and reproductive healthcare, access to birth control and abortion, fertility treatments, LGBTQ+ protection rights, racial justice, equal pay, equal justice for sexual harassment and abuse, and so on. It has fueled the women's movement, especially for the younger generation advocating for gender equality and ensuring the protection of women's rights under the law. In 2019, Christine M. Durham, the first female appointed to the Utah Supreme Court, advised the next generation, "The torch is being passed from women of my generation to your generation, and it's very important to educate yourself about the future and the past" (Collett, 2019). Young people are spearheading the ERA movement, which is getting closer than ever to being formally recognized as a constitutional amendment.
Christine M. Durham @ The American Law Institute
Dr. Ellen Brady, the Issues Director for the Women's Democratic Club of Utah, points out that the United States is one of only six countries that hasn't signed the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. This convention gives women a long list of guaranteed rights, protections, and equality. Sudan, Iran, and Somalia are also among us. Additionally, the United States is one of only ten countries out of 195 that does not guarantee gender equality in its constitution. There is still work to be done to make that equality, which only appears on paper, a reality. Dr. Brady also said in the Standard-Examiner on June 21, 2023, that the United States needs to take the lead, not follow (Brady, Standard-Examiner, June 21, 2023).
It's interesting to note that on March 31, 1776, future First Lady Abigail Adams pleaded with her husband John, who was then a member of the Continental Congress and later became the second president of the United States, to "remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation" (history.com). Of course, her pleading was ignored. It took 144 years, following Abigail's request, for women to be granted the right to vote. Yet, the Equal Rights Amendment is still not ratified as of 2023, 247 years after her petition and 100 years after its introduction.
It's interesting to note that on March 31, 1776, future First Lady Abigail Adams pleaded with her husband John, who was then a member of the Continental Congress and later became the second president of the United States, to "remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation" (history.com). Of course, her pleading was ignored. It took 144 years, following Abigail's request, for women to be granted the right to vote. Yet, the Equal Rights Amendment is still not ratified as of 2023, 247 years after her petition and 100 years after its introduction.
Abigail Adams @ https://quotesgram.com
Again, interestingly enough, Utah enacted its own Equal Rights Amendment in 1895. In the past, women in Utah enjoyed equal rights and protection. According to Utah's Constitution, "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 had several chances to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, but to no avail (Quist, The Salt Lake Tribune, October 3, 2019). Nonetheless, the Utah Legislature chose not to recognize women as equal citizens under the law. According to Rich (2020), 74% of people in Utah and 94% of people in the rest of the United States favor this amendment. Hence, the 1982 deadline must be lifted as the next step in promoting gender equality in the United States of America and ensuring that the Equal Rights Amendment becomes a permanent part of the U.S. Constitution. More information on the Mormons for the Equal Rights Amendment can be found in "From Housewives to Protestors: The Story of Mormons for the Equal Rights Amendment."
The ERA also matters because social justice, including protective legislation such as Roe v. Wade, the Violence Against Women Act, Title IX protections, reproductive health rights, equal pay, and so on, can be attacked and overturned, as in Roe v. Wade. While many barriers have been resolved, such as gender-neutral restrooms, LGBTQ+ rights, women in the military, and so on, an effective and permanent guarantee of gender equality is still needed. It is because, after decades of progressives striving for social justice, the U.S. Supreme Court has abruptly thrown back our rights and weakened democracy, causing our rights to turn back the clock.
The ERA also matters because social justice, including protective legislation such as Roe v. Wade, the Violence Against Women Act, Title IX protections, reproductive health rights, equal pay, and so on, can be attacked and overturned, as in Roe v. Wade. While many barriers have been resolved, such as gender-neutral restrooms, LGBTQ+ rights, women in the military, and so on, an effective and permanent guarantee of gender equality is still needed. It is because, after decades of progressives striving for social justice, the U.S. Supreme Court has abruptly thrown back our rights and weakened democracy, causing our rights to turn back the clock.
Women still don't have equal rights
in the U.S. Constitution
in the U.S. Constitution
In the wake of the Supreme Court's overruling of Roe v. Wade, the ERA Now Resolution was implemented on July 13, 2023, marking the first time in history that two women introduced Equal Rights Amendment legislation, with female sponsors in both the House and Senate. Representative Cori Bush of Missouri and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York introduced the ERA Now Resolution, which instructs the National Archivist to certify and publish the 100-year-old Equal Rights Amendment and declares it the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They argued that the gender equality legislation had met ratification requirements and should be properly ratified and published as the 28th Amendment immediately by Colleen Shogan, the first female National Archivist in the country. The ERA is also being pushed for the first time in the House and Senate by two female legislators, Cori Bush, and Kirsten Gillibrand, reflecting the growing BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities of the movement as a whole as they campaign for gender equality in and out of the U.S. Congress. Rep. Bush, Sen. Gillibrand, and ERA advocates do not want to waste time fighting procedural obstacles or waiting for more Republican support. They asked President Joe R. Biden, who has the power, to authorize the National Archivist to certify and publish the 28th Amendment immediately. They argued that the deadlines are invalid and that gender equality should be included in the U.S. Constitution. The resolution instructed the National Archivist, who is in charge of publishing the Amendment in the Executive Branch, to do so.
Representative Cori Bush of Missouri and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York introduced the ERA Now Resolution, July 13, 2023 @ Generation Ratify
The year 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the Equal Rights Amendment, which was initially introduced in 1923, and it is well past time to have it published.
SpeakOut SpeakEasy. The Utah Equal Rights Amendment Coalition, 2023
Equal Rights Amendment
Supporting Petition by Female Latter-day Saint Presidents
Supporting Petition by Female Latter-day Saint Presidents
On March 13, 1943, Relief Society president Amy Brown Lyman and Young Women's Association president Lucy Grant Gannon petitioned their senators to support the Equal Rights Amendment. We have historically backed the ERA. Researcher Ardis E. Parshall is to be credited for finding this source.
Amy Brown Lyman @ Better Days 2020
"I believe in women, especially thinking women." ~Emmeline B. Wells~
First Female Vote Was Cast in Utah
Returning to history, the Territory of Wyoming was the first to allow women the right to vote on December 10, 1869, with the Utah Territory following suit on February 12, 1870 (History.com, December 10, 1869: Wyoming Grants Women The Vote, 2009; Jan, The Suffrage Movement, February 23, 2009).
In the next election, in September 1870, women were granted the right to vote for the first time in Wyoming. Most women in the Utah Territory voted first in that year's election, which took place on February 14. They were polled seven months before Wyoming women. Hence, Utah women were the first to vote in the modern United States (Jan, The Suffrage Movement, February 23, 2009; Clark, Better Days 2020).
Seraph Young Ford, a schoolteacher and grandniece of Brigham Young, became the first woman in the United States to cast a ballot on February 14, 1870 (Clark, Better Days 2020). Wyoming may have beaten Utah by a few months in granting women the right to vote, but Utah is the first state where women cast their first ballot.
The Utah Women's Suffrage Movement won the right to vote twice, once in 1870 and again in 1895, long before the federal law, the 19th Amendment, granted American women the right to vote in 1920. After Utah became a state on January 4, 1896, its people, including women, voted in their first national election. Utah was the third state to provide suffrage after Wyoming (July 23, 1890) and Colorado (July 23, 1891) (November 7, 1893). In addition, the Utah School for the Deaf was relocated to Ogden from Salt Lake City in the same year.
In the next election, in September 1870, women were granted the right to vote for the first time in Wyoming. Most women in the Utah Territory voted first in that year's election, which took place on February 14. They were polled seven months before Wyoming women. Hence, Utah women were the first to vote in the modern United States (Jan, The Suffrage Movement, February 23, 2009; Clark, Better Days 2020).
Seraph Young Ford, a schoolteacher and grandniece of Brigham Young, became the first woman in the United States to cast a ballot on February 14, 1870 (Clark, Better Days 2020). Wyoming may have beaten Utah by a few months in granting women the right to vote, but Utah is the first state where women cast their first ballot.
The Utah Women's Suffrage Movement won the right to vote twice, once in 1870 and again in 1895, long before the federal law, the 19th Amendment, granted American women the right to vote in 1920. After Utah became a state on January 4, 1896, its people, including women, voted in their first national election. Utah was the third state to provide suffrage after Wyoming (July 23, 1890) and Colorado (July 23, 1891) (November 7, 1893). In addition, the Utah School for the Deaf was relocated to Ogden from Salt Lake City in the same year.
Seraph Young votes at the Utah State Capitol building @ Better Days 2020
Influential Women in Utah
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: one to require Deaf and Blind students to attend the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind and the other to create a hospital on campus. As a result, 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 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 2022.
In October 2015, legislators founded the Martha Hughes Cannon caucus 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 2022.
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 a Senate Chaplain in Utah (Maud Babcock, Wikipedia, December 28, 2018). She served for two decades on the board of the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, including 12 years as president (Toone, Deseret News, May 7, 2014). As of 2017, half the state's population is women. They 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 Utah Deaf women seized the opportunity to participate in the local march. They were: Roberta Dunlap Bolanos, Chrystee Call Davenport, Jennifer Allen-Kelly, Shandra Benito, Jodi Becker Kinner, Carol Sanderson, Stephanie Lowder 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 Utah Deaf women seized the opportunity to participate in the local march. They were: Roberta Dunlap Bolanos, Chrystee Call Davenport, Jennifer Allen-Kelly, Shandra Benito, Jodi Becker Kinner, Carol Sanderson, Stephanie Lowder 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
Utah Deaf Women Who Made
a Difference in the Deaf Community
It is possible that the suffrage movement in Utah inspired 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
At the end of her second tenure as president in 1915, Libbie delivered a speech to the UAD Convention advocating for women's suffrage. Libbie was most likely influenced and inspired by the early Utah women's suffrage movement to pursue her education, politics, and religious aspirations.
The Utah School for the Deaf announced the opening of a new deaf school in Springville, Utah, named the "Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf," in honor of Elizabeth DeLong, in October 2019 after receiving approval from the Utah State Board of Education and the USDB Advisory Council. (USDB website). On January 6, 2020, the school began operations. It is an excellent way to carry on her legacy. Libbie was likely motivated to pursue her academic, political, and spiritual aspirations by the early Utah suffrage campaign. She has many firsts and is also the UAD's first female president, making her a significant trailblazer. She speaks for the Deaf community in Utah, which is privileged to have her as a leader.
The Utah School for the Deaf announced the opening of a new deaf school in Springville, Utah, named the "Elizabeth DeLong School of the Deaf," in honor of Elizabeth DeLong, in October 2019 after receiving approval from the Utah State Board of Education and the USDB Advisory Council. (USDB website). On January 6, 2020, the school began operations. It is an excellent way to carry on her legacy. Libbie was likely motivated to pursue her academic, political, and spiritual aspirations by the early Utah suffrage campaign. She has many firsts and is also the UAD's first female president, making her a significant trailblazer. She speaks for the Deaf community in Utah, which is privileged to have her as a leader.
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 and early 20th centuries. Emma, like Elizabeth DeLong, the first female president of the Utah Association of the Deaf, was most likely shaped by Utah's women's suffrage campaign.
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). Mary was most likely motivated to pursue her education at the University of Utah by the early emphasis on advancing education and employment opportunities for women in Utah and the connection to Maud May Babcock.
Justina W. Keeley. Salt Lake City Division No. 56, October 15, 1966
Deaf women were denied the opportunity to attend Gallaudet College from 1864 to 1887 (US History Encyclopedia: Gallaudet University). (US History Encyclopedia: Gallaudet University). Furthermore, since founding 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 also not allowed to purchase regular insurance membership as men. It was a bittersweet discovery for Justina because 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).
Second Female President of the
Utah Association of the Deaf
Utah Association of the Deaf
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, following over 100 years of men serving as president. Kim is also the first queer president of the Utah Association of the Deaf.
For the first time since 1909, the Utah Association of the Deaf has two female presidential officers: Kim Lucas as president and Ashli-Marie Grant Mayo as vice president.
I genuinely hope to see the first female president of the United States in the near future. Women have accomplished so much throughout history, and we are now one step closer to electing a female president of the United States.
For the first time since 1909, the Utah Association of the Deaf has two female presidential officers: Kim Lucas as president and Ashli-Marie Grant Mayo as vice president.
I genuinely hope to see the first female president of the United States in the near future. Women have accomplished so much throughout history, and we are now one step closer to electing a female president of the United States.
Ashli-Marie Grant Mayo
There is a list of things that young women now take for granted that women couldn't do in the past.
@The Transformed Wife
- 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.
- The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was not ratified in the United States. The proposed ERA asserts that the rights guaranteed by the Constitution apply equally to all people, regardless of gender. It was passed by the United States Congress in 1972 but fell three states short of the 38 required for ratification by the June 30, 1982, deadline. Utah was a vocal opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and still is.
- Wage disparities between men and women. Hiring, firing, advancement, pay equality, medical accommodations, and other employment situations in federal, state, and local government.
- Physical safety (preventing domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment). Discrimination is inherent in large backlogs of untested rape kits and uninvestigated rapes. Law enforcement is inadequately trained to deal with gender violence and to minimize/ignore gender-based crimes. Women are imprisoned at significantly higher rates for self-defense. Child custody is often at stake in high-conflict divorce cases involving domestic violence. Our Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and can be reached at slcad.org
- Women are more likely than men to be impoverished. Therefore, the need for safe and affordable housing is critical, as is the discriminatory enforcement of nuisance laws and evictions.
- Quality healthcare, including reproductive services, is available. However, in hospitals, there is a lack of kits, training, and forensic nurses for sexual assault intake.
- Access to safe and legal abortion is necessary after Roe vs. Wade's overthrow in 2022.
- Comprehensive sex education.
- Women in the military. The shortcomings of our military in dealing with sexual harassment and assault reports.
- Human trafficking is a crime. However, laws on sex trafficking are being implemented in a discriminatory manner.
- Racial Injustice. The impact of gender and racial inequality on women in the labor force, including gender and racial wage disparities.
- Paid maternity leave (The United States is the only developed country where employers are not required to cover parental leave). Paternity leave is longer and more readily available than maternity leave.
- Women still struggle to break through the glass ceiling in leadership positions. As an example, consider Hillary Clinton.
Let's Challenge the Status Quo Successfully!
Women's rights were considered ridiculous back then, which is still relevant today. Sharon Weeks, who wrote "It Seems to Me: What Young Women May Not Know," observed that many young women, who have little understanding of women's history, are satisfied with their status quo. She stressed how important it is to learn about women's rights issues and challenge the status quo (Weeks, Leader-Telegram, February 19, 2017). The young women's lack of interest could greatly impact our future daughters and granddaughters in the long run.
From the perspective of an Air Force Brat who values self-sufficiency, education, and career, Utah lacks women's empowerment because the state's religious culture prioritizes marriage and family. Women are more than just housewives, mothers, and homemakers. They can pursue education and a career to realize their dreams or goals. Nonetheless, more could be done in the United States to improve women's access to education, healthcare, and technology. Women's rights are fundamental human rights that everyone should support, so let's work together to make them a reality!
From the perspective of an Air Force Brat who values self-sufficiency, education, and career, Utah lacks women's empowerment because the state's religious culture prioritizes marriage and family. Women are more than just housewives, mothers, and homemakers. They can pursue education and a career to realize their dreams or goals. Nonetheless, more could be done in the United States to improve women's access to education, healthcare, and technology. Women's rights are fundamental human rights that everyone should support, so let's work together to make them a reality!
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
December 3, 2019
State Representative Karen Kwan, D-Taylorsville, hoped Utah would make history as the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). On December 3, 2019, around 200 supporters, including Deaf advocates, Kim Lucas, UAD President, Robert Belshe, SLCAD President, Brooke Budzinski 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 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
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)
To learn more about the issues relating to women's equality, read the articles that are attached:
Consider signing up for the following newsletters and petitions to learn about and safeguard your rights:
- Utah ERA Coalition - https://utaheracoalition.org
- Utah Women and Leadership Project - https://www.usu.edu/uwlp/
- Ms. Magazine - http://msmagazine.com
- 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
- Generation Ratify - https://www.generationratify.org/
- Alice Paul Institute - https://www.alicepaul.org
- A Mighty Girls - https://www.amightygirl.com
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Brady, Ellen. "Guest opinion: Validate the ratification of the ERA." Standard-Examiner, June 21, 2023. https://www.standard.net/opinion/guest-commentary/2023/jun/21/guest-opinion-validate-the-ratification-of-the-era/?mibextid=Zxz2cZ&fbclid=IwAR0pLMFPN6MrGD05Epp_Wge3o9_T-7jFOSy-O-esov
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