Gloria Steinem, Pioneering Feminist Leader, Dies at 92

Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey are among a slew of politicians, celebrities, writers and activists who are lauding Gloria Steinem as a revolutionary and inspiring figure.

The celebrated author and activist, who became one of the most visible symbols and potent voices of the U.S. women’s movement, died Wednesday at her home in New York City. She was 92.

Kamala Harris

“To know her as a person is to know someone who was kind, sharp, and witty. She was invested in young women and keeping the door open for the next generation of leaders, and her advocacy was always about fighting for the strength, intelligenc, and dignity of women everywhere. She showed incredible support for women running for office, and I will always be grateful for her encouragement and support in my campaign for the presidency.” — the former vice president, on Facebook.

Hillary Clinton

“Gloria Steinem was, at heart, an optimist. Her activism was rooted in optimism, and that’s a moral choice she made every day. Even though we’ve faced setbacks to women’s full participation and equality in America and around the world, I want Gloria’s voice to remain in our heads.” — the former secretary of state, on social media.

Oprah Winfrey

“Every woman who has ever walked into a room knowing she belongs there; every woman who has demanded equal pay, equal respect, ownership of her own body, and the right to make her own choices; every girl who has grown up assuming that her dreams are hers to pursue — whether she knows Gloria Steinem’s name or not — is living, in some measure, inside the progress Gloria helped create.” — the media mogul and television producer, on social media.

Nancy Pelosi

“May it be a comfort to all of us who loved Gloria that her extraordinary legacy will live on in every generation that carries her fight forward.” — former Speaker of the House, on X.

Jane Fonda

“For decades, she trudged through every airport in the country, in sandals and a trench, carrying her own suitcase, packed with a few black clothes, hair curlers, and steam iron, in order to speak to women — at conferences, town halls, consciousness raising groups. No group was too small to deserve Gloria’s time. This is how she built the new women’s movement.” — actor and activist, on Instagram.

Barbra Streisand

“From the first moment I met Gloria in the 1970s, I was deeply impressed by her. She stood for everything I believed in: equality for women in the workplace, a woman’s right to choose, greater political representation for women, and a thoughtful, determined response to every form of gender-based discrimination. She gave voice to these issues with fierce intelligence and steely determination, but also with wit, empathy, and humility. What made her so extraordinary was not only the strength of her convictions, but the humanity and grace with which she expressed them.” — singer and actor, on social media.

Jill Biden

“Gloria Steinem understood that women’s equality begins with the freedom to make decisions about our own bodies, health, and futures. 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.” — the former first lady, on social media.

Melinda French Gates

“Generational change doesn’t happen by accident or fate — it takes leaders like Gloria Steinem who work hand in hand with so many others to build a lasting movement.. What a light she was for me and so many others. What a debt we owe her.” — the philanthropist and businesswoman, on social media.

Julie Taymor

“She got tremendous joy out of being with other people, with other women, and improving their lives. ... She understood about working from the bottom up — and she never really wanted credit for any of it. She always said if she wasn’t alive, there would still be a women’s movement. I think she underestimated her power. She was very modest. She had not an ounce of, you know, narcissism or ‘me, me, me’ about her. And she was able to really make change.” — the director of “The Glorias,” a 2020 biopic of Steinem, in an interview with The Associated Press.

Julianne Moore

“The time I spent studying Gloria Steinem in order to play her was one of the most edifying of my life. Everything I watched, everything I read, everything I observed about her gave me a template for how I wanted to behave.” — the actor, who played Steinem in the 2020 film “The Glorias,” on Instagram.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex

“Privately, she was even better than you would imagine — 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.” — Duchess of Sussex, on Instagram.

Roxane Gay

“Gloria was one of a kind. Genuine, generous, curious, thoughtful. She lived a staggering life and her passing is a staggering loss tempered only by the ferocity of her legacy.” — the writer, on Instagram.

Abigail Disney

“Everything Gloria did was rooted in kindness. It flowed through her political activism.” — her friend and fellow activist, to the AP.

Rachel Cargle

“Gloria, you changed my life. You seeded a fire in me that would result in my own activism. I am forever grateful to have learned from what you offered the world.” — the author and social justice activist, commenting on Instagram.

Harvey Fierstein

“An unstoppable visionary who demanded an equal role for females in a male dominated world and worked tirelessly, for decades, to bring that change about. The greatest irony was how many women she had to battle as they cowered behind their male owners. But battle she did. Equal rights! Freedom to choose! Access to political power! Equal pay for equal effort.” — the actor and playwright, on social media.

Jill Filipovic

“I have done what I wanted to do with my life. That would not have been possible without Steinem and the scores of other feminists who it is no exaggeration to say radically reshaped America and the world.” — the author and feminist, in her Substack newsletter.