Today is Women’s Equality Day

From City of Lakes: An Illustrated History of Minneapolis.
Circa 1940s: a display of memorabilia from the Minnesota women’s suffrage movement.

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Did you know that today, August 26th, is Women’s Equality Day?

Yeah; me neither.

In 1971, to commemorate the passage in 1920 of the 19th Amendment, which gave US women the right to vote, Congress designated August 26th as Women’s Equality Day.

Joint Resolution of Congress, 1971
Designating August 26th of each year as Women’s Equality Day

WHEREAS, the women of the United States have been treated as second-class citizens and have not been entitled the full rights and privileges, public or private, legal or institutional, which are available to male citizens of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the women of the United States have united to assure that these rights and privileges are available to all citizens equally regardless of sex; and

WHEREAS, the women of the United States have designated August 26, the anniversary date of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, as symbol of the continued fight for equal rights: and

WHEREAS, the women of United States are to be commended and supported in their organizations and activities,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that August 26th of each year is designated as Women’s Equality Day, and the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation annually in commemoration of that day in 1920, on which the women of America were first given the right to vote, and that day in 1970, on which a nationwide demonstration for women’s rights took place.

Did Smirky McDumbass (hail Maru) — he who is apparently always so paranoid around women; gosh, who knew? — did  our preznit have anything to say about this? Well, by golly, he did.

Wow, this is fantastic — We get our very own day of equality! I wish I’d found out about this earlier. If I had, maybe I wouldn’t have frittered away the day washing dishes, dusting light fixtures and reading the New Yorker. Maybe I would have done something more commemorative of women’s suffrage, like chaining myself to a fence or setting fire to a mailbox or going on a hunger strike. (Hunger strike? Me? Surely you jest. Cut it out, Surely. It could happen.)

Time’s a-wasting, ladies. Make Women’s Equality Day 2006 a day to remember. Tomorrow the world goes back to SOP where women are concerned, and we know it’s gonna be a long haul to next August 26th. Make today count.