Rosalynn Carter’s legacy includes building support for the LGBTQ+ community

Rosalynn Carter
Photo: Carter Center

Most Americans alive today weren’t even born when Rosalynn Carter and her husband Jimmy left the White House in 1981. Like most First Ladies, Rosalynn Carter is primarily (and unfairly) known as the extension of her husband. But, after her death this past weekend at age 96, it’s worth remembering that Rosalynn Carter dedicated her life to humanitarian causes, especially mental health, in the process helping LGBTQ+ people.

By all accounts, Rosalynn was more than just a loving spouse – she was a smart and tough political advisor, which earned her the nickname “the Steel Magnolia.” One of her main roles in the White House was to actively push for the Equal Rights Amendment, which would have amended the Constitution to prohibit gender discrimination.

The ERA became a lightning rod for the right wing, which saw it as challenging traditional gender roles. The right’s effort to stop the ERA included outright homophobia, led by activist Phyllis Schlafly.

Schlafly said that the ERA was an attempt by “lesbians, radicals, and federal employees” to create a“constitutional cure for their laziness and personal problems.” She claimed that the ERA would lead to “homosexual privileges,” including…

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