Melanie Trimble is the director of the Capital Region New York Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In 1972, the Equal Rights Amendment, designed to guarantee protection against sexual discrimination for women under the law, passed both houses of Congress and was sent to the individual states for ratification. Although the ERA gained ratification of 30 states within one year of its Senate approval, mounting intense opposition from conservative religious and political organizations effectively brought ratification to a standstill. Sponsored by the 1st Amendment Club.