Representative Steve Andersson was given a pamphlet that made false claims.  Curious and skeptical, he conducted an in-depth legal analysis and found there is no straight line from the ERA to abortion.  Opponents often cite cases where a state has used their equality clause to fight anti-abortion lawsuits, to suggest a connection to the ERA.  Several states have been successful in litigation, but only using medical privacy law and the definition of whether a procedure is considered “medically necessary.”  Abortion became law under privacy law unrelated to equal rights law. 

Proponents and opponents often suggest a link here, but there is no legal standing for this connection.  See Andersson’s attached legal summary.  Abortion and gay marriage are often brought up as reasons not to support the ERA, and yet they both became the law of the land through other means. Read his legal summary here.