Final answer:
The STOP ERA movement led by Phyllis Schlafly opposed the Equal Rights Amendment due to fears that it would end gender-specific privileges for women and upset traditional family structures. Schlafly argued that the ERA would remove protections for working women and homemakers, while her supporters were concerned about the draft and loss of preferential treatment in family law. Despite disagreements from ERA proponents, the STOP ERA effectively prevented the amendment's ratification.
Step-by-step explanation:
The STOP ERA movement, led by Phyllis Schlafly, opposed the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), with concerns that it would dismantle gender-specific privileges and protection laws benefiting women. Schlafly argued that women enjoyed certain privileges—such as exemption from the military draft and gender-specific restrooms—that would be compromised if the ERA were ratified. Moreover, Schlafly suggested that the feminist movement was elitist and that the ERA would particularly disadvantage working women and homemakers by taking away legal protections.
Supporters of Schlafly believed that the ERA would also change preferential treatment in child custody laws and make women subject to the military draft, affecting their ability to receive child support and alimony. The STOP ERA movement signaled not only a resistance to the perceived loss of protection for women but also a concern for maintaining traditional family roles, as Schlafly stated that "women's liberation" undermined the family structure.
While proponents of the ERA disagreed with the STOP ERA's view, believing that the courts would address any legal concerns, the movement led by Schlafly successfully halted the ratification process. Phyllis Schlafly's effective campaign capitalized on the fears and conservative values of the time to position the ERA as a threat to the social and legal status women held under existing laws.