Forty-five years to the day after Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment, Nevada became the first state in 40 years to approve the provision that would enshrine women’s rights in the U.S. Constitution.

The Equal Rights Amendment cleared the floor of the Virginia Senate for the fifth time in six years. SJ1, sponsored by Senator Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), passed 21-19 on Tuesday on a near-party line vote with most Senate Republicans opposed​.

Meryl Streep, political leader? Director Michael Moore suggested onstage at the Toronto Film Festival premiere of his latest movie, “Where to Invade Next,” that the Oscar-winning star of “The Iron Lady” and “Silkwood” could somehow get the dormant Equal Rights Amendment passed.

No actor or actress can match Meryl Streep's 19 Academy Award nominations, and only Katharine Hepburn has bested her three Oscars for acting. So maybe it's conceivable that Streep's letter Tuesday to each member of Congress can somehow revive the Equal Rights Amendment, politically dormant since its high-water mark four decades ago.

Organizer Janette Dean’s remarks:

Welcome, sisters! Welcome, brothers!

Today, we stand up and walk together through our state Legislature–united in hope, united in strength, and united in the wisdom that human rights for all is the only path for a civilized society, the only road possible for an acceptable present and future.

Now that Arquette has called out the naked emperor, the question is, who will provide the leadership to harness the groundswell of energy released by her battle cry? This is the moment to push for the ERA.

ERA is ‘in the air,’ according to the NC National Organization for Women. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is the topic of a new book – “Equal Means Equal, Why the Time for the Equal Rights Amendment is NOW” by Jessica Neuwirth in 2015.

RICHMOND — In 1972, when Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment and asked states to ratify it, “The Godfather” was No. 1 at the box office, people talked on rotary telephones and women made up about one-third of the U.S. workforce.

UPDATE: On February 5th the Virginia Senate passed SJ 216 after rescinding passage on February 3rd. The status of the bill lin the Virginia Legislature is available here. The bill will move to the House during crossover.

I'm part of Generation X -- the generation where girls and young women were taught that we could be anything, do anything and, if we worked hard enough, could have it all.