WeHo City Council Approves Resolution To Support Equal Rights

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – West Hollywood City Council unanimously approved a Resolution in support of the Equal Means Equal Initiative at its regular meeting on Monday, August 21. The initiative will focus on educating the public about the legal status of women in the United States and will advocate for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in states where it has not yet passed, according to a City of West Hollywood press release.

The ERA states, “Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” It was written by written by Alice Paul in 1923, passed by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states for ratification. Currently, the ERA has been ratified by 36 states, but requires a minimum of 38 states to add it to the United States Constitution.

Women and girls in the United States still don't have the equal rights they deserve, City of West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman said in a statement. The Equal Rights Amendment must be ratified, he said, and it’s up to the City of West Hollywood to educate people everywhere about its importance, especially in states where it has not yet passed.

“Equal means equal. The City of West Hollywood has a strong record of standing by this basic idea of fairness. Our city has continually supported initiatives that call for full equality for women,” said Councilmember Lindsey P. Horvath. “With this Resolution we broadcast, loud and clear, that the Equal Rights Amendment must be ratified in states where it has not yet passed in order for it to become the law of the land.”

Since the presidential inauguration and subsequent women’s marches, there has been a renewed effort among women’s rights advocates to pass the ERA, the press release said. The most recent state to ratify the ERA was Nevada, on March 22, and it was the first state to ratify the amendment since the 1970s.

The City hosted a screening of the film as part of its Women’s Equality Day commemoration on Friday, August 18, and the City's Women's Advisory Board is involved in a lot of programming and events that recognize and support women in the community, the statement read. In 1993, West Hollywood was the first city in the country to declare itself pro-choice and it has supported state and federal legislation protecting and advancing women’s reproductive rights and access to healthcare, according to the City of West Hollywood.

For more information, please contact the City of West Hollywood at (323) 848-6460. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

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