Reply #51: IA ratified ERA late 70s + then the RW put on a MAJOR national +

[bobbieinok]

state campaign in 1980 to STOP THE ERA. There was a popular vote on the ERA in IA in the 1980 presidential election and the ERA lost.

From what I remember at the time, it was assumed that this vote reversed IA's pro-ERA vote.

One of the most disgusting features of the 24/7 antiERA in IA in the 1980 campaign was a TV ad played constantly in IA before the election. The video was from Gay Pride parades, shots carefully chosen to be most upsetting to MidWest sensibilities. The voice over was to the effect that a vote for the ERA was a vote for such sights on every street corner in small town IA (big town IA too, of course).

There were attempts to get stations to refuse to play the ad, but stations played it, citing 'free speech,' 'political dialogue'. They got LOTS of money for playing the ad, too, from national groups that were working VERY HARD to STOP THE ERA. A prominent group was a Mormon front group; this national campaign vs the ERA may have been the start of conservative christian groups working with Mormons on social issues (conservative christian groups DO NOT consider Mormons christian; raised as a SoBapt, I know the antiMormon and antiCatholic view held by many in that denomination.)