Brenda is based on the real-life prominent ERA proponent Brenda Feigen who debated Schlafly many times on TV. Her husband at the time was also a vocal ally of the women’s movement.
On the show, Brenda has an affair with Jules, a photographer played by Roberta Colindrez, which makes her question her sexuality. She remains married to her husband after finding out she's pregnant. According to Feigen's memoir, this is pretty in line with her real-life timeline (although her first experience with a woman was not with a photographer names Jules).
The real Brenda Feigen divorced her husband in 1990 and now lives in California with her wife, Joanne Parrent.
This page was last edited on June 7th, 2020.