Feminist Activist and Icon Gloria Steinem Dies at 92

Gloria Steinem, the feminist activist who inspired a generation of women and fought for gender equality, has died at age 92.

Her foundation announced the news in a social media post Thursday morning, sharing that Steinem had "passed away peacefully" at her home in New York City the day before, surrounded by her loved ones.

"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. Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humor," the statement read.

"Gloria loved the tradition of lighting signal fires on hills to light the way to the other side of the mountain. Lighting your own candle for Gloria makes you part of this global and celestial community circle."

Steinem was a celebrated writer and magazine editor, who became the face of the women’s movement.

In the 1970s, Steinem co-founded a number of trailblazing initiatives, including the Women's Action Alliance, a feminist organization dedicated to fighting sexism, Ms. magazine, a publication focusing on women’s issues, and the National Women’s Political Caucus, a multi-partisan grassroots organization aimed at increasing women’s participation in the political process.

Steinem avidly campaigned for women's reproductive rights and later supported the legalization of same-sex marriage. Much of her work centered on pushing for equal rights and pay for women.

"Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It’s about making life more fair for women everywhere. It’s not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It’s about baking a new pie," she wrote in a 2008 op-ed for the Los Angeles Times.

Steinem’s early years

Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio, on March 25, 1934. The family moved a lot, somewhat due to her father’s profession as a traveling antiques dealer, and Steinem didn’t attend school full-time until she was around 12 years old. After her parents separated, Steinem lived with, and helped care for, her mother, who suffered from depression. 

In her 2015 memoir, My Life On The Road, Steinem credited her mother for influencing her journey to activism.

“Depression is anger turned inward; thus women are twice as likely to be depressed,” she wrote. “My mother paid a high price for caring so much, yet being able to do so little about it. In this way, she led me toward an activist place where she herself could never go.”

The makings of an activist

Upon graduating from Smith College, Steinem pursued a career as a freelance journalist.

She completed an 11-day stint as a Playboy bunny to inform her exposé of the working conditions faced by the women in the job.

By 1968, Steinem was a contributing editor at New York Magazine and used her platform to shine a spotlight on women's rights. Her 1969 article titled "After Black Power, Women’s Liberation," which attracted national attention, saw Steinem connect feminism with the Black Power movement.

In 1972, Steinem's newly-launched Ms. magazine created another national conversation when an article titled "We Have Had Abortions" showcased a petition signed by 53 prominent American women, including Steinem herself. It was published a year before the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision established a woman’s right to an abortion.

Family, legacy, and recognition

Steinem continued campaigning for women's rights over the decades and authored critically-acclaimed books as a lead voice within the feminist movement.

Her 1983 collection of essays titled Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions blended political commentary with personal anecdotes. Her 1994 collection of essays, titled Moving beyond Words: Breaking the Boundaries of Gender, further explored the female experience and gendered stereotypes.

In 2000, Steinem, then age 66, married lawyer David Bale, the father of Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale.

"I hope this proves what feminists have always said—that feminism is about the ability to choose what's right at each time of our lives," Steinem said in a statement about the marriage, her first and only. David Bale died of brain cancer in 2003.

Steinem received numerous accolades over the years on account of her activism and global impact.

In 2013, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

“As a writer, a speaker, an activist, she awakened a vast and often skeptical public to problems like domestic violence, the lack of affordable child care, unfair hiring practices," Obama said at the time. “And because of her work, across America and around the world, more women are afforded the respect and opportunities that they deserve. But she also changed how women thought about themselves.“

Tributes pour in for feminist icon

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remembered Steinem as someone who "pushed open doors not just for herself, but for literally millions of women behind her."

Paying tribute to the platforms Steinem created for others, Clinton said: "She wasn't going to be an astronaut, but she made it possible for Sally Ride to be an astronaut. She wasn't going to play college sports, but she stood behind the women in Congress who passed Title IX."

Meghan Markle posted a picture of herself and Steinem, highlighting how she was "celebrating the life and legacy" of her "friend and mentor."

"Privately, she was even better than you would imagine," Markle said. "Spending Thanksgiving with our family, introducing me to one of my best friends (forever the champion of female friendship), loving our children with her whole heart, counseling me during hard times, and giving extraordinary advice and perspective with a cup of tea and an unrivaled cheekiness and wit."

Former First Lady Jill Biden remembered Steinem as someone who "understood that women’s equality begins with the freedom to make decisions about our own bodies, health, and futures."

Paying tribute to Steinem's activism, she continued: "For decades, she fought to make that freedom real for generations of women and girls. She spoke up when it was difficult, listened to those whose voices too often went unheard, and never stopped pushing our country forward."

Former Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris championed Steinem's life-long ethos during an appearance on MS Now's State of Play.

"I have this saying that you never let anyone tell you who you are, you tell them who you are," said Harris. "And that really epitomized Gloria Steinem's approach to it all, which is, be strong. Know that you have support. Know that you belong. Don't look for affirmation in people who have a limited ability to see your capacity, and don't let that be a limitation on your perception of who you are and your ambition."

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to Steinem as "a fearless trailblazer who transformed the fight for equality in America and inspired generations of women to know their power."