Remembering Gloria Steinem: The Feminist Icon Who Lit the Path for Generations
Legendary feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem has died. She was 92.
Steinem died “peacefully at her home in New York City” on Wednesday, September 2, surrounded by some of the many who loved her,” said a post shared via both her and her foundation’s official Instagram accounts on Thursday, September 3.
The statement continued, “Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end.”
“Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard. Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves,” the statement went on. “Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humor.”
The post said, “She spent her recent years doing the two things she loved most: being in community with others and writing. She has welcomed hundreds of guests into her living room for Talking Circles, a tradition she insisted will continue long after she is no longer with us. As Gloria wrote in her forthcoming book, An Unexpected Life, ‘I have now lived for more than fifty years in this brownstone, in rooms that have witnessed lives before mine, and will know others after I am gone.’”
“This book, along with her commitment to her home becoming a center for social justice movements, are among the many gifts Gloria has given the world with the hope they have ripple effects for generations to come,” the statement added. “Gloria often quoted the adage: ‘The flap of a butterfly’s wing can change the weather hundreds of miles away.’”
“Gloria loved the tradition of lighting signal fires on hills to light the way to the other side of the mountain,” the post said. “Lighting your own candle for Gloria makes you part of this global and celestial community circle.”
“In lieu of flowers, Gloria has asked that those wishing to honor her with a gift, may make a donation to Gloria’s Foundation,” it concluded.
Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934 but spent much of her years migrating between Michigan, Florida and California. After her parents divorced when she was 11, the activist spent much of her childhood caring for her mother, Ruth Steinem, who suffered from mental illness.
After graduating in 1956 from Smith College, where she studied government, Gloria established a career as a freelance writer. In the 1960s, she helped create New York magazine, covering important topics such as an abortion hearing given by the radical feminist group called the Redstockings.
Gloria’s activism career truly began when she formed the National Women’s Political Caucus in 1971 alongside figures such as Bella Abzug and Betty Friedan. That same year, she launched the feminist magazine Ms., which addressed important topics such as domestic violence. The journalist also helped co-found other women’s rights organizations such as Women’s Action Alliance (1971), the Women’s Media Center (2004), Voters for Choice (1977) and the Ms. Foundation for Women.
In 1983, the Ohio native released a collection of essays called Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions which explored the philosophy of feminism and Gloria’s own personal experiences. After facing a breast cancer diagnosis in 1986, the feminist organizer entered remission that same year and went on to release 10 more women’s rights books including Marilyn: Norma Jean (1986), Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem (1992) and Moving Beyond Words: Age, Rage, Sex, Power, Money, Muscles: Breaking Boundaries of Gender (1994).
In 2013, the author was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, by former President Barack Obama.
“As a writer, a speaker, an activist, [Gloria Steinem] awakened a vast and often skeptical public to problems like domestic violence, the lack of affordable child care, unfair hiring practices,” Obama, 61, shared in his speech at the time the award was given. “And because of her work, across America and around the world, more women are afforded the respect and opportunities that they deserve.”
Despite insisting she would never marry, Gloria tied the knot with entrepreneur David Bale, Christian Bale’s father, in 2000. Three years later, David died from brain cancer at age 62.
In October 2022, Gloria self-published an essay for Vanity Fair talking about how she still remains hopeful despite dealing with a global pandemic and living in a post-Roe world. (The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which enshrined the constitutional right to abortion, in June 2022.)
“When I am asked how I ‘still’ keep going — and I’m asked that a lot at my age — I say it’s because action is infinitively interesting. You might be someone who knows the law and can help navigate legislatively,” the famous feminist wrote at the time. “You might be a health care worker who can provide care and support, regardless of what the law says, or you might be really good at social media and spreading information and friendship. It’s rare that any one of us can solve a big problem, but collectively, we can do anything.”
