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Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem is an American United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 feminist Feminism

Feminism is a diverse collection of social theories [i], political movement [i]s and moral philosophies [i] ... 

 icon, journalist Journalist

A journalist is a person who practises journalism [i], the gathering and dissemination of information ab ... 

 and women's rights advocate. She is the founder and original publisher of Ms. Ms. magazine

Ms. is an American [i] feminist [i] magazine founded by American feminist and ... 

magazine.

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Timeline

1934   Born



Encyclopedia


Gloria Steinem is an American United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 feminist Feminism

Feminism is a diverse collection of social theories [i], political movement [i]s and moral philosophies [i] ... 

 icon, journalist Journalist

A journalist is a person who practises journalism [i], the gathering and dissemination of information ab ... 

 and women's rights advocate. She is the founder and original publisher of Ms. Ms. magazine

Ms. is an American [i] feminist [i] magazine founded by American feminist and... 

magazine.

Early life

Gloria Marie Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio. Her mother, Ruth, was of part German Germans

Germans are defined as an ethnic group [i], or Volk [i], in the sense of sharing a common German culture [i] ... 

 descent. Her Jewish-American father, Leo Steinem, was a traveling antiques dealer . The family split in 1944, when he went to California to find work while Gloria lived with her mother in Toledo. As a child in Toledo, she cared for her ill mother and helped support the family.

Education and early career

Steinem entered Smith College Smith College

Smith College, located in Northampton [i], Massachusetts [i], is the largest ... 

 on scholarship in 1952,
majoring in government studies and becoming politically active in
Adlai Stevenson Adlai Stevenson

Adlai Ewing Stevenson II was an American politician [i], noted for intellectual demeanor ... 

's presidential campaign. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society Phi Beta Kappa Society

The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society [i] with the mission of "fostering and recognizi ... 

  in 1956, the year she graduated. Steinem then studied in India India

India , officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia [i]. ... 

 for two years, after which she returned to America and had difficulty finding a journalist position because males had hiring preference. In 1960, she became assistant editor of Help! magazine and a freelance writer, and in 1963, started freelancing full-time with the publication of her infamous undercover article, A Bunny's Tale: "Show's" First Exposé for Intelligent People.

Political awakening and activism

After conducting a series of celebrity interviews, Steinem eventually got a political assignment covering George McGovern George McGovern

Dr. George Stanley McGovern was a United States [i] Congressman [i] ... 

's 1972 presidential campaign, which led to a position in a New York New York

New York is a state [i] in the northeastern [i] United States [i]. ... 

 magazine. She became politically active in the feminist movement, and the media seemed to appoint Steinem as a feminist leader of sorts. Steinem brought other notable feminists to the fore and toured the country with lawyer Florynce Rae Kennedy, and in 1971, cofounded the National Women's Political Caucus as well as the Women's Action Alliance. In 1972, she started the feminist magazine and wrote for the magazine until it was sold in 1987. The magazine was bought by the in 2001, and Steinem remains on the masthead as one of six founding editors and serves on the advisory board.

Steinem founded the Coalition of Labor Union Women 1974, and participated in the National Conference of Women in Houston, Texas Houston, Texas

Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas [i] and the fourth-largest in the United States [i] ... 

 in 1977. She became Ms. magazine's consulting editor when it was revived in 1991, and she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993.

Later life


In the 1980s and 1990s, Steinem had to deal with a number of personal setbacks, including the diagnoses of breast cancer Breast cancer

Breast cancer is a cancer [i] of breast [i] tissue.... 

 in 1986, and trigeminal neuralgia Trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia, or Tic Douloureux, is a neuropathic [i] disorder of the trigeminal nerve [i] ... 

 in 1994.

On September 3, 2000, at age 66, she married David Bale, father of actor Christian Bale Christian Bale

Christian Charles Philip Bale is a
... 

. The wedding was performed at the home of her friend Wilma Mankiller, formerly the first female Chief Tribal chief

A traditional tribal chief is the leader [i] of a tribe [i], or the head of a tribal form of ... 

 of the Cherokee Nation Cherokee

The Cherokee, or in the Cherokee language [i], are a people native to North America [i], who at the ti ... 

. Steinem and Bale were married for only three years before he died of brain lymphoma Lymphoma

Lymphoma is a variety of cancer [i] that originates in lymphocyte [i]s or, more rarely, of histiocytes [i] ... 

 on December 30, 2003 at age 62. In 2005, Steinem appeared in the documentary film, I Had an Abortion, by Jennifer Baumgardner and Gillian Aldrich. In the film, Steinem described the abortion Abortion

An abortion is the removal or expulsion of an embryo [i] or fetus [i] from the uterus [i], resulting in,... 

 she received as a young woman in London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

, where she lived briefly before studying in India India

India , officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia [i]. ... 

. Steinem is also a member of Democratic Socialists of America, and an advisory board member of Women's Voices. Women Vote.

Canadian singer-songwriter David Usher David Usher

David Usher is an British [i]-born rock singer-songwriter [i], and renowned humanist [i]... 

 penned a song entitled Love Will Save The Day, which includes sound bytes from Steinem speeches. The song's opening contains her statement, "It really is a revolution", and the ending breaks for the quote, "We are talking about a society in which there will be no roles other than those chosen or those earned; we are really talking about humanism."

List of works


  • Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions
  • Marilyn: Norma Jean
  • Revolution from Within
  • Moving beyond Words

Further reading

Carolyn Heilbrun, The Education of a Woman: The Life of Gloria Steinem, 1995

See also

  • Second-wave feminism

External links

  • from the Jewish Women's Archive