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, believes it is essential that we recognize and value 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 accomplishments, particularly in leadership. It's a great way to remember them and honor their legacy. Finally, we'll look at the history and leadership of equal rights for all and ways to get more people involved in politics to protect 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 US President Donald 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, lesbian/bisexual/transgender women, 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 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." A Utah woman leader and human rights attorney, Kate Kelly, one of the "Utah Women Unite" co-founders and event organizers, 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 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." A Utah woman leader and human rights attorney, Kate Kelly, one of the "Utah Women Unite" co-founders and event organizers, 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 Deaf women at the Utah State Capitol
Utah Women's Suffrage Movement
During the 1800s, women in Utah were active in politics and pushed for equal rights, like the right to vote. As a group, they became known as "suffrageists." Utah has been a beacon for women's rights. Women played an essential role in Utah politics at the time and worked hard to improve women's rights.
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.
Utah had the most members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association of 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 contracts.
Utah had the most members of the National American Woman Suffrage Association of 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 contracts.
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. Throughout the publication, the press covered women's suffrage, plural marriage (polygamy was abolished in 1890), and social/political issues. 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, many women worked. Many of them advanced in achieving their educational and career goals and pushing political agendas while practicing polygamy. They were activists, physicians, educators, professors, writers, and politicians (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, many women worked. Many of them advanced in achieving their educational and career goals and pushing political agendas while practicing polygamy. They were activists, physicians, educators, professors, writers, and politicians (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, which is one of the oldest and largest women's groups in the world, to reach its goals for global development. Men between 1960 and 1970 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 the rate has increased with time, Utahn women enroll in college at a lower rate than women nationwide.
In the 100 years from 1870 to 1970, the trend went backwards. The legacy of Latter-day Saint women's leadership and achievements had been lost and forgotten until the early 1970s, when Boston Mormon feminists, as they were known, relaunched the Women's Exponent publication. Neylan McBaine established the nonprofit Better Days 2020 organization to raise awareness of and honor women's contributions to leadership in Utah. They also want to make Utah a better place for women in the future.
In the 100 years from 1870 to 1970, the trend went backwards. The legacy of Latter-day Saint women's leadership and achievements had been lost and forgotten until the early 1970s, when Boston Mormon feminists, as they were known, relaunched the Women's Exponent publication. Neylan McBaine established the nonprofit Better Days 2020 organization to raise awareness of and honor women's contributions to leadership 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.
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 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 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.
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich @ ldswomenofgod.com
The Nearly 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, a women's suffrage campaign leader, and women's rights activist, proposed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1923 as the next step in delivering "equal justice under the law" to all people. The ERA was also created to guarantee that the United States Constitution protected women's rights. However, the first proposal that year failed. The bill was introduced in every session of Congress from 1923, but has never been passed. Finally, the ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states for ratification. 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 Latter-day Saint 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."
After nearly a decade of legislative battles over gender equality, abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and other issues, it was given a 7-year time limit to ratify, which was later extended to 10 years. During this time, 35 states ratified the amendment. It needed 38 to be added to the Constitution, but only 35 did so. As a result, women are still denied equal rights and protection under the US Constitution. Following nearly 40 years of waiting, Nevada became the 36th state to enact the ERA in 2017. In 2018, Illinois became the 37th state to ratify the ERA. In 2020, Virginia became the 38th and final state to ratify the ERA. Utah has attempted to pass an ERA resolution several times since 1977, but each time has failed. The Utah Legislature has once again voted against recognizing women as legal equals. Church leaders argued in writings and lobbying efforts that the law would increase abortions, create unisex bathrooms, and harm families.
After 38 states have passed the ERA, the next step is to repeal the 1982 deadline. This will make the ERA a permanent part of the US Constitution. Hundreds of constitutional experts agree that the ERA was ratified in Virginia in 2020, two years after the state legislature voted it into the US Constitution. Virginia became the 38th and final state required for ratification. Even so, the National Archivist, President Joe R. Biden, and President Donald J. Trump have yet to certify its ratification and have not added it to the Constitution. The year 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the Equal Rights Amendment, first proposed in 1923 to protect women's rights in the US Constitution.
After nearly a decade of legislative battles over gender equality, abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and other issues, it was given a 7-year time limit to ratify, which was later extended to 10 years. During this time, 35 states ratified the amendment. It needed 38 to be added to the Constitution, but only 35 did so. As a result, women are still denied equal rights and protection under the US Constitution. Following nearly 40 years of waiting, Nevada became the 36th state to enact the ERA in 2017. In 2018, Illinois became the 37th state to ratify the ERA. In 2020, Virginia became the 38th and final state to ratify the ERA. Utah has attempted to pass an ERA resolution several times since 1977, but each time has failed. The Utah Legislature has once again voted against recognizing women as legal equals. Church leaders argued in writings and lobbying efforts that the law would increase abortions, create unisex bathrooms, and harm families.
After 38 states have passed the ERA, the next step is to repeal the 1982 deadline. This will make the ERA a permanent part of the US Constitution. Hundreds of constitutional experts agree that the ERA was ratified in Virginia in 2020, two years after the state legislature voted it into the US Constitution. Virginia became the 38th and final state required for ratification. Even so, the National Archivist, President Joe R. Biden, and President Donald J. Trump have yet to certify its ratification and have not added it to the Constitution. The year 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the Equal Rights Amendment, first proposed in 1923 to protect women's rights in the US Constitution.
Alice Paul @ Biography.com
In 1895, Utah 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 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 again in 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. This amendment is supported by 70% of Utah residents and 94% of Americans. In addition, every other developed country, except for 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. This amendment is supported by 70% of Utah residents and 94% of Americans. In addition, every other developed country, except for 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.
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 ERA. 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).
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).
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, 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, 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
Libbie gave a speech advocating women's suffrage at the UAD Convention in 1915 after serving a second term as president. Libbie was believed to have been inspired by the early Utah suffrage movement to achieve her academic, 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 fantastic way to pay tribute to Elizabeth DeLong's legacy!
In retrospect, Libbie was the first to achieve many of her ambitions and continues to inspire people today. Utah is fortunate to have her in a leadership role for our Utah Deaf community.
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 fantastic way to pay tribute to Elizabeth DeLong's legacy!
In retrospect, Libbie was the first to achieve many of her ambitions and continues to inspire people today. Utah is fortunate to have her in a leadership role for our Utah Deaf community.
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 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. In addition, 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).
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. Furthermore, Kim is the first queer president of the Utah Association of the Deaf.
Utah Association of the Deaf has two female presidential officers for the first time since 1909, with Kim Lucas as president and Ashli-Marie Grant Mayo as vice president.
I sincerely wish to witness the first female president of the United States soon. Women have accomplished so much over the years, and we are one step closer to electing a female president of the United States.
Utah Association of the Deaf has two female presidential officers for the first time since 1909, with Kim Lucas as president and Ashli-Marie Grant Mayo as vice president.
I sincerely wish to witness the first female president of the United States soon. Women have accomplished so much over the years, and we are 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 a fundamental human right that everyone should support, so let's all 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 a fundamental human right that everyone should support, so let's all 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 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
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
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.
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/
“US History Encyclopedia: Gallaudet University.” http://www.answers.com/topic/gallaudet-university
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
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.
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/
“US History Encyclopedia: Gallaudet University.” http://www.answers.com/topic/gallaudet-university
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