I believe one of the most important National events of the 70's was the National Women's Conference - The National Women's Conference, which was held in Houston, was the largest assembly of women in the United States at the time. The U.S. Congress had requested that a women's conference be set up to find barriers which do not allow women to actively participate equally in our society, and ways to eliminate those barriers. There were 1,442 delegates who had been elected at fifty-six state and territorial meetings that were open to the public; four-hundred more had been appointed at large by a national commission. At the Houston conference the women were of all races, ages, income brackets, occupations and opinions. They were black, white, yellow, Spanish, Indian , Mexican and four of the delegates were Eskimos. There were Democrats, Republicans, radicals, and conservatives that joined in the event. Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford, and Lady Bird Johnson turned up to endorse the National Women's Conference. Along with all of these women, there was also twelve-thousand observers who packed themselves in the Sam Houston Coliseum.
The conference's charge? Come up with a set of recommendations to be submitted to President Carter. By law, President Carter had to submit the recommendations to Congress within 120 days after receiving the recommendations. The delegates accomplished a 25 point national plan of action: passed the Equal Rights Amendment; a national health insurance plan; a federal campaign to educate women on their right to credit; federally and state funded programs for victims of child abuse, and for rape prevention education; freedom of choice on abortion along with funds for those who can not afford an abortion; elimination of job, housing, and credit discrimination against lesbians; custody rights for lesbians; an expansion of bilingual education; an extension of social security benefits to women who work at home; state supported shelters for women who are physically abused by their husbands; and lastly a federal rural program designed to overcome poverty and unemployment.
The three most controversial issues at the National Women's Conference were the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion, and lesbian rights. Even though support of the ERA, support of the freedom to choose in terms of abortion, and recognition of lesbians and lesbian rights all eventually passed - all three areas were hotly debated. But what was the driving force that eventually helped pass these "controversial" issues at the time? The answer was UNITY.
Even though everybody did not agree on everything, the National Women's Conference can be remembered for its' UNITY and their accomplishment of their twenty-five point plan of action. New Yorker Letty Pogrebin recalled seeing a black delegate wearing and orange armband in support of lesbian rights, a button favoring abortion and a pro ERA button. Originally, the delegate had only worn one insignia, that backing the ERA. Said Pogrebin, "She was the best example of the progress of those three days in Houston."
We've come a long way baby. But unfortunately in the wrong direction and down the wrong road. Now UNITY is used not to garner support for doing the right thing but to gloss over very real difference of opinions on issues; to push a candidate that was selected not elected; and as an excuse to forget about all those pesky things like voter's rights,one person one vote, and a biased and sexist media to name a few. The call to UNITY by the Democratic Party is not a call to our higher natures, it a call for selective amnesia really. Just as Hillary used to rely on the spirit of one of her heroes - Eleneor Roosevelt - during some of her toughest times in the White House for inspiration, hopefully the spirits of all those women that gathered for those few days in Houston and used UNITY to help each other find the courage to fight for what was right will inspire all us that are ashamed of our country for the recent primary election to keep fighting. Often I read or heard women comment during the primary that the country needed a new or re-energized women's movement. They, like me, couldn't understand why more people, in particular more women were not outraged and active. When three times the number of women go to see the opening of the new "Sex in the City" movie than vote for Hillary Clinton, a uniquely qualified woman during the most historic of primaries I think we can say "Houston - we got a problem." Houston with your energy, your show of UNITY, and your legacy - light the rocket boosters of our imaginations once again cause we've gotta long way to go baby.
The conference's charge? Come up with a set of recommendations to be submitted to President Carter. By law, President Carter had to submit the recommendations to Congress within 120 days after receiving the recommendations. The delegates accomplished a 25 point national plan of action: passed the Equal Rights Amendment; a national health insurance plan; a federal campaign to educate women on their right to credit; federally and state funded programs for victims of child abuse, and for rape prevention education; freedom of choice on abortion along with funds for those who can not afford an abortion; elimination of job, housing, and credit discrimination against lesbians; custody rights for lesbians; an expansion of bilingual education; an extension of social security benefits to women who work at home; state supported shelters for women who are physically abused by their husbands; and lastly a federal rural program designed to overcome poverty and unemployment.
The three most controversial issues at the National Women's Conference were the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion, and lesbian rights. Even though support of the ERA, support of the freedom to choose in terms of abortion, and recognition of lesbians and lesbian rights all eventually passed - all three areas were hotly debated. But what was the driving force that eventually helped pass these "controversial" issues at the time? The answer was UNITY.
Even though everybody did not agree on everything, the National Women's Conference can be remembered for its' UNITY and their accomplishment of their twenty-five point plan of action. New Yorker Letty Pogrebin recalled seeing a black delegate wearing and orange armband in support of lesbian rights, a button favoring abortion and a pro ERA button. Originally, the delegate had only worn one insignia, that backing the ERA. Said Pogrebin, "She was the best example of the progress of those three days in Houston."
We've come a long way baby. But unfortunately in the wrong direction and down the wrong road. Now UNITY is used not to garner support for doing the right thing but to gloss over very real difference of opinions on issues; to push a candidate that was selected not elected; and as an excuse to forget about all those pesky things like voter's rights,one person one vote, and a biased and sexist media to name a few. The call to UNITY by the Democratic Party is not a call to our higher natures, it a call for selective amnesia really. Just as Hillary used to rely on the spirit of one of her heroes - Eleneor Roosevelt - during some of her toughest times in the White House for inspiration, hopefully the spirits of all those women that gathered for those few days in Houston and used UNITY to help each other find the courage to fight for what was right will inspire all us that are ashamed of our country for the recent primary election to keep fighting. Often I read or heard women comment during the primary that the country needed a new or re-energized women's movement. They, like me, couldn't understand why more people, in particular more women were not outraged and active. When three times the number of women go to see the opening of the new "Sex in the City" movie than vote for Hillary Clinton, a uniquely qualified woman during the most historic of primaries I think we can say "Houston - we got a problem." Houston with your energy, your show of UNITY, and your legacy - light the rocket boosters of our imaginations once again cause we've gotta long way to go baby.
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