Feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem dies at 92

Feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem died Wednesday at the age of 92, her foundation said in an Instagram post on Thursday.

According to the post, Steinem passed away in her home in New York City, surrounded by loved ones.

Recognized everywhere by her signature streaked hair, parted down the middle, and large aviator glasses, Ms. Magazine co-founder Steinem was an unmistakable presence. She spent much of her life as an advocate, traveling and frequently speaking at university campuses and community centers, as well as at rallies and public marches wherever she went.

“Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end,” the post read in part.

“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 post continued.

Before becoming a dedicated activist, her career originated in journalism, including a 1963 undercover assignment exposing degrading conditions in Hugh Hefner’s Playboy empire—an effort she ultimately regretted. Her focus shifted six years later during a meeting where women forcefully advocated for abortion rights.

True connection, she maintained, cannot be digitized. "You can’t do it on the phone or on the web," she told The Associated Press in a 2015 interview. "You have to be there with all five senses. It should be obvious that people can’t empathize with each other unless we’re in same room."

Recalling the 1969 event following the reversal of Roe v Wade, Steinem—who had a secret illegal abortion at age 22—told The AP in a 2022 email: "That speak-out was the beginning of activism for me." She added, "Either our control over our own bodies is equal, regardless of sex or race, or we’re not living in a democracy."

Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio, on March 25, 1934, to a Presbyterian mother, Ruth, and a Jewish father, Leo.

In 2020, she told The Independent about her relationship with her father after her mother’s nervous breakdown.

“He was one of the most irresponsible people on Earth, and it didn't matter,” Gloria recalled fondly. “Because he was kind, he was funny, he treated me as his buddy and his companion. I am personally thankful to him that I'm friends with all my old lovers, because they were good men. [And] because I had a good father I knew they were good men.”

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