Wonder Women: How My Great-Grandmother Fought for the 19th Amendment — And 100 Years Later, I'm Fighting for the Same Rights

Personal Stories · By Gale McArthur · 2026-04-03 · 25 min read

The legacy you don't choose. The fight you inherit. From the suffrage movement to family court reform — a generational story of women who refused to be silent.

The Legacy You Don't Choose. The Fight You Inherit.

Elsie Lincoln Benedict — suffragist, educator, and the original Wonder Woman.

Elsie Lincoln Benedict: The Wonder Woman You've Never Heard Of

Original newspaper advertisement for Elsie Lincoln Benedict — "The Wonder Woman — More Glorious Than Ever!"

My great-grandmother, Elsie Lincoln Benedict, was in her twenties when she was arrested for fighting for women's right to vote.

She wasn't a bystander watching history. She was making history.

She marched. She protested. She refused to back down. And like thousands of suffragists before her, she paid the price.

She was arrested. Jailed. Punished for the crime of demanding equality.

But they couldn't break her.

After the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, Elsie didn't just celebrate and go home. She spent the next 30 years making sure every woman in Colorado knew the story of what it took to win that right.

She became the Colorado State Lead for 19th Amendment education, traveling the state telling women:

> "They arrested us. They jailed us. They called us hysterical. They told us we were too emotional to participate in democracy. But we won. And now you must never let anyone take this right away."

Her Life's Work

In the 1940s and 1950s, Elsie became a force of nature across Colorado:

Organized voter registration drives targeting women
Gave hundreds of speeches on suffrage history in schools, churches, and community centers
Mentored young women in civic engagement and activism
Fought against laws that restricted women's rights
Refused to be silent when she saw injustice — ever

The Cost She Paid

Like many women activists of her era, Elsie faced:

Social ostracization — "Why can't she just be a nice housewife?"
Professional barriers — women weren't supposed to be political organizers
Family pressure — her husband wasn't always supportive
Being labeled "difficult," "aggressive," "unfeminine"

Sound familiar?

2024: A Mother Discovers Her Great-Grandmother's Legacy

Fast forward 100 years.

I'm Gale McArthur, Elsie's great-granddaughter.

And I'm fighting the exact same fight.

Not for the right to vote. But for:

The right to be heard in family court
The right to parent my daughter
The right to question authority without being labeled "mentally ill"
The right to demand accountability from the system
Civil rights. Again.

The Moment Everything Changed

I was in the darkest part of my custody battle when I discovered the extent of Elsie's suffrage work.

I had just lost custody of my daughter Riley based on a parenting evaluator who:

❌ Wasn't on the required registry (RCW 26.12.177 violation)
❌ Admitted under oath he was "not qualified to diagnose"
❌ Admitted "it's hard to stay unbiased"
❌ Ignored evidence showing I was fine

I was exhausted. Demoralized. Ready to give up.

And then I found Elsie's papers.

Letters from her fellow suffragists. Newspaper clippings about protests. Court records from her arrest.

And everything changed.

Because I realized: She faced the exact same system. And she won.

The parallels between the suffrage movement and today's family court reform are undeniable.

The Parallels Are Bone-Chilling

| Elsie's Fight (1920s) | My Fight (2020s) | | --- | --- | | Women denied the right to vote | Mothers denied the right to parent | | "Too emotional to participate in democracy" | "Too emotional to parent" | | Male-dominated government making decisions about women | Male-dominated family court making decisions about mothers | | No oversight or accountability | No oversight or accountability (GAL system) | | Women arrested for demanding rights | Women punished (lose custody) for demanding accountability | | Called "hysterical" for advocating | Called "mentally ill" for advocating | | Forced into submission through force-feeding | Forced into submission through custody threats | | Silenced through social stigma | Silenced through sealed court records |

It's the same playbook. Just a different century.

What the 19th Amendment Fight Teaches Us About Family Court Reform

Lesson 1: The System Will Not Reform Itself

Suffragists didn't win by asking nicely. They:

✅ Marched
✅ Went on hunger strikes
✅ Got arrested
✅ Went to jail
✅ Endured force-feeding
✅ Faced public ridicule
✅ Refused to be silent

They made people uncomfortable. And that's how they won.

Family court will not reform itself through polite letters and quiet complaints. We need to:

✅ Document systemic failures
✅ File lawsuits
✅ Appeal unjust rulings
✅ Demand public hearings
✅ Push for legislation
✅ Refuse to be silent

Lesson 2: They Called Suffragists "Crazy" Too

The anti-suffrage movement used "science" to argue women were too unstable to vote. Actual arguments made:

> "Women's brains are smaller and thus incapable of rational political thought."

> "Women are too emotional to make sound decisions."

> "Voting will cause women to become hysterical and abandon their children."

Today, family court uses "mental health" as a weapon against mothers:

"She has anxiety" → Too unstable to parent
"She was depressed after losing custody" → Evidence of mental illness
"She's persistent in raising concerns" → Evidence of obsession
"She documented abuse" → Evidence of being vindictive

It's the same tactic: pathologize women's resistance. Call them crazy. Then dismiss everything they say.

Lesson 3: Change Takes Decades, But It's Inevitable

The suffrage movement took 72 years (1848 Seneca Falls Convention → 1920 ratification).

72 years of setbacks. Defeats. Deaths of activists who never saw victory. Progress, then backlash, then progress again.

But they won.

Family court reform will take time too. I may not see full accountability in my lifetime. My daughter may not see it in hers.

But if we document. If we fight. If we refuse to be silent. It will happen.

Lesson 4: You Need Receipts

Suffragists didn't just march. They documented everything:

✅ Kept meticulous records of arrests
✅ Photographed protests
✅ Preserved court transcripts
✅ Published newspapers
✅ Created archives

I'm doing the same thing:

✅ Public records requests (King County GAL registry emails)
✅ Trial transcripts (every word preserved)
✅ Evidence comparison charts
✅ This website (galeregistry.com)
✅ Blog posts documenting every violation

Because 100 years from now, someone will read this. And they'll know we fought.

Four generations. One mission. The fight for women's rights never stopped.

The Wonder Woman Parallel

People called Elsie "Wonder Woman" because:

✅ She fought when others were silent
✅ She stood up to powerful men
✅ She refused to back down
✅ She protected the vulnerable
✅ She inspired other women
✅ She made people uncomfortable

People call me "difficult" for the same reasons.

The difference? In Elsie's time, powerful women were called Wonder Woman — a compliment. In my time, powerful women are called "mentally ill" — a weapon.

But I'll take it.

If being "difficult" means questioning unqualified evaluators, demanding accountability, documenting violations, fighting for my daughter, and refusing to accept injustice — then I'm difficult. Just like Elsie. And I'm proud of it.

The FJAA: Our 19th Amendment

Just as Elsie fought for the 19th Amendment, I'm fighting for the Family Justice Accountability Act.

The FJAA is proposed federal legislation that would:

1. Require Qualified Evaluators - GALs and parenting evaluators must have mental health training and licensure - No more attorneys playing psychologist - Mandatory training in trauma and domestic violence

2. Create Federal Oversight - Establish independent review boards for GAL complaints - Track patterns of bias and misconduct - Publish complaint data publicly

3. Protect Parents' Due Process Rights - Right to question evaluator qualifications - Right to present contrary evidence - Right to appeal without retaliation

4. Mandate Registry Compliance - Federal enforcement of state registry requirements - Public, searchable database of qualified evaluators - Consequences for appointing unqualified evaluators

5. Enable Civil Remedies - Parents can sue for damages when rights are violated - Limit quasi-judicial immunity for fraud and gross negligence - Attorney fees for prevailing parents

This is our 19th Amendment. The right to be heard. The right to parent. The right to accountability.

I Am the Washington State Lead for FJAA

Just like Elsie was the Colorado State Lead for 19th Amendment education 100 years ago.

My role includes:

Coalition Building — Connecting Washington parents affected by GAL abuse to share stories, document patterns, and coordinate advocacy
Legislative Advocacy — Working with Washington State legislators to draft state-level FJAA companion legislation and strengthen RCW 26.12.177
Public Education — Teaching parents how to check GAL registry status, challenge unqualified evaluators, and preserve their rights
Documentation — Building the GAL eRegistry as a database of complaints, resources, sample motions, and success stories

Same mission. Different century.

To My Daughter, Riley

Someday you'll read this.

Someday you'll understand why Mom fought so hard.

And I want you to know:

I didn't choose this fight because I wanted to. I chose it because you were worth it.

Just like your great-great-great-grandmother Elsie fought so that women could vote, I'm fighting so that mothers can parent.

I'm fighting so that when you grow up and have children, you won't face what I faced.

I'm fighting so that no evaluator can ever take your children away because you dared to question their qualifications.

I'm fighting so that your voice matters. Just like Elsie fought for mine.

That's the legacy.

Not giving up. Not staying silent. Not accepting injustice.

Fighting. Even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard.

Because that's what Wonder Women do.

To Elsie, Wherever You Are

I found your papers.

I found your speeches.

I found your legacy.

And I'm carrying it forward.

100 years ago, you fought for women's right to vote.

Today, I'm fighting for mothers' right to parent.

Same fight. Same tactics. Same refusal to be silent.

They called you Wonder Woman.

They call me difficult.

But we're the same woman. Just born in different times.

Thank you for showing me how to fight.

Thank you for showing me that change is possible.

Thank you for refusing to give up.

I won't give up either. I promise.

The Fight Continues

This is not the end of the story. It's the beginning.

The 19th Amendment took 72 years.

Family court reform might take just as long.

But it will happen.

Because women like Elsie refused to be silent.

And women like me refuse to be silent.

And women like you — reading this right now — will refuse to be silent.

Together, we are unstoppable. Together, we are Wonder Women.

Join the Movement

Website: galeregistry.com
Email: gale@galeregistry.com
FJAA Information: Learn about the FJAA
Search the GAL eRegistry: Directory
Learn how to vet a GAL: How to Vet

Share this post. Share your story. Share your truth.

Elsie fought for 30 years. I'll fight for as long as it takes.

Will you join me?

Permission granted to share with attribution.

For Elsie. For Riley. For all the mothers fighting for their children.

The legacy continues. The fight goes on. We will not be silent.

UPDATE (April 2026): Case currently on appeal to Washington Court of Appeals Division 1. Following in Elsie's footsteps — fighting for civil rights, one generation at a time.