Gloria Steinem, leading feminist voice for six decades, dies at 92
Gloria Steinem, the influential feminist author and activist, died Wednesday at her New York City home at age 92. She co-founded Ms. Magazine and spent decades advocating for women's equality, including undercover reporting on Playboy and activism for abortion rights. Her social media post announced her death, noting her gift for listening and making others feel seen.
Steinem's journalism career included a 1963 undercover assignment inside the Playboy empire, an experience she later said she regretted. A pivotal 1969 gathering where women spoke openly about abortion rights redirected her life's work; she had undergone an illegal abortion at age 22 and kept that secret for years.
Despite lifelong terror of public speaking, she became one of the movement's most tireless orators, traveling constantly into her 80s. She remained productive into her 90s, collaborating on a children's book at 91 and completing a memoir shortly before her death. Her friend Abigail Disney said Steinem's wit stayed sharp even as her health declined.
Steinem's death could prompt renewed public reflection on the feminist movement's unfinished agenda, particularly as abortion access faces new restrictions. Her posthumous memoir, due this fall, may extend her influence to younger readers encountering her ideas for the first time. Her example of sustained activism into old age could also reshape expectations about lifelong civic engagement, potentially inspiring renewed interest in gender equality causes among multiple generations.