Final answer:
Gloria Steinem was a vocal supporter of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) of 1972 aimed at providing gender equality. The amendment received bipartisan support but faced opposition from conservatives like Phyllis Schlafly who feared it would eliminate special protections for women.
Step-by-step explanation:
A vocal supporter of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1972, which sought to provide equality to American women was Gloria Steinem. Steinem was a journalist and one of the leading feminist voices of the 1970s. She founded Ms. magazine, was a supporter of women's reproductive choice, and was one of the leading proponents of the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA aimed to end legal gender discrimination by stating in its first section: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex." The amendment saw support from many, including both Democrats and Republicans; figures such as Bella Abzug celebrated the inclusion of sex discrimination provisions in various legislations.
However, the ERA faced strong opposition as well, particularly from conservative figures like Phyllis Schlafly, who believed the amendment would lead to the elimination of laws that protected women in specific scenarios. Schlafly's critiques posited that the ERA would lead to women losing preferential treatment in child custody laws and potentially subject them to the military draft.