Inside Out - Publish the ERA

The Nationwide Action “Inside Out - Publish the ERA” aims to bring the history and conversation about the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to streets across the USA. Participants of all ages, backgrounds, and identities are encouraged to express the change they want to see in their country and uphold shared values of liberty, equality, and justice for all regardless of sex or gender. Through this Action, EQUAL MEANS EQUAL invites the public to participate in a countrywide call for equality.

In 1923, American suffragist Alice Paul wrote the Equal Rights Amendment, which declares: “Equality of rights, under the law, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” In 2020, almost a hundred years after it was first introduced in Congress, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA, achieving the three-fourths requirement for the amendment to become part of the United States Constitution. Yet, today the ERA has still not been published as the 28th Amendment, spurring an important legal and policy debate that gains urgency with each passing month.

By participating in the Inside Out Project, the public, local leaders, artists, and organizations across all 50 states will engage in dialogue, amplify their voices, and inspire action in their communities. Their portraits will serve as a reminder that behind policies lie a diverse array of human stories that illustrate our shared pursuit of dignity and equality under the law. As Alice Paul famously said, “I always feel the movement is a sort of mosaic. Each of us puts in one little stone, and then you get a great mosaic at the end.” Together, our movement’s mosaics of faces will paint a portrait of present-day American society as a visual petition that urges the President of the United States to make the call to officially publish the ERA and make history.