First Ladies Out Front

Of all the sights to emerge from the National Women's Conference, perhaps none was more compelling than the panoply of three First Ladies of the U.S., all precisely coiffed, dressed with impeccable conservatism, ankles neatly crossed, sitting side by side at the opening session in the Sam Houston Coliseum to promote the Equal Rights Amendment. "We don't look like bomb throwers, and we don't think like that either," said Lady Bird Johnson. Yet there they were: Lyndon Johnson's widow, Betty Ford and Rosalynn Carter.

They stood witness for the ERA before all the debates, negotiations and ballots got under way. How did they feel after the votes were in? TIME Correspondent Bonnie Angelo went to each for answers.

For Lady Bird Johnson, joining the women's movement was a new commitment. "People whom I respect and believe in and like were part of it," she said later from her ranch in Johnson City, Texas. "Particularly my two daughters -- they thought it was right." How would Lyndon have taken it all? Replied Lady Bird: "In one of his last speeches, Lyndon said, 'Change is not our enemy.' I believe he would be welcoming all this."

At the Fords' home in Palm Springs, Calif., Betty Ford said she endorsed all the planks approved by the Women's Conference, including the most controversial ones. "I am broad-minded," she said. "I know I will be criticized for it, but I have to be honest. I know that there is a problem for lesbians, for homosexuals. It's not their fault that they happen to be born with different genes, and they shouldn't be discriminated against. I am not for abortion on demand, but in many cases it is necessary--rape, incest and others. This thing of not providing money for the poor--you have to take their problems into consideration."

Back at the White House, Rosalynn Carter spoke in terms that were generally upbeat, but critical of some particulars. "I do not necessarily agree with all of the recommendations," said she. "The ERA is important to me. My only reservation is that some of the more controversial issues have been mistakenly identified with the amendment. And these issues have absolutely no relevance to the ERA." Rosalynn did not specify those issues, though it would be safe to single out abortion and lesbian rights as two of the most prominent. Still, she said, "it was a historic meeting. We demonstrated that women are united in their purpose of achieving equal opportunities."

What next? Lady Bird Johnson summed it up: "If I were an elected official, I would take due note of their earnestness, their enthusiasm--and their numbers."

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