While the CEA may appear complicated, it contains specific directions on how it should be interpreted. Even if successful we would end up with an amendment that, according to its history in the Congress, excluded some of the most important features like lesbian and gay rights and a guarantee of reproductive freedom. Height does not classify by sex on its face but certainly guarantees that very few women will qualify, while a substantially greater number of men will qualify. But it will require training ourselves and our allies to create a shared understanding of the meaning of the CEA and the need for a constitutional guarantee of equality. It will require a commitment from each NOW member and supporter to provide our individual support until the CEA is ratified and women's constitutional equality is a reality.
Society is more accepting of civil rights for lesbians and gays than it has been in the past.
As we cultivate support for the CEA, we will be advising the public that equal rights should be guaranteed to all people no matter what their sexual orientation. Existing laws are not adequate to remedy sex discrimination. Only a constitutional amendment can invalidate state and federal laws that discriminate against women and prevent states from passing new discriminatory laws. One example of the economic significance of a CEA is that it will make it unconstitutional to pay men and women different wages for the same job or for jobs of comparable worth. There are several theories as to why the ERA did not pass.