Gloria Steinem, pioneering feminist activist, dies at 92

Sep 2, 2026

Gloria Steinem, a pioneering feminist activist, journalist, and co-founder of Ms. Magazine, died on September 2, 2026, at her home in New York City at the age of 92. Steinem became a leading figure of the second-wave feminist movement, advocating for reproductive rights, equal pay, and racial inclusivity. Her activism was sparked by a 1969 abortion speak-out, and she went on to co-found the National Women's Political Caucus and receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

Gloria Steinem death at 92

▪Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid tribute to Gloria Steinem on September 3, 2026, calling Steinem 'one of the architects of the entire structure of women's equality.'
▪Gloria Steinem, a pioneering feminist activist, journalist, and co-founder of Ms. Magazine, died on September 2, 2026, at her home in New York City at the age of 92
▪The Gloria Steinem Foundation announced on September 3, 2026, that Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded by loved ones, though no cause of death was disclosed

Ms. Magazine co-founding

▪Gloria Steinem co-founded Ms. Magazine with activist Dorothy Pitman Hughes, with the publication's first full issue appearing on newsstands on July 1, 1972
▪Ms. Magazine broke new ground as the first major publication owned, run, and written by women, focusing on issues like domestic violence, equal pay, and sexism rather than traditional topics like beauty and cooking
▪The first full issue of Ms. Magazine in July 1972 featured Wonder Woman on the cover and included a petition signed by women demanding safe and legal abortions
▪Despite predictions from news presenter Harry Reasoner that Ms. Magazine would run out of things to say in six months, the first issue sold out within a week and generated 26,000 subscribers

Women's liberation movement leadership

▪Gloria Steinem married South African entrepreneur and environmentalist David Bale in 2000 at age 66, who later died of brain cancer in 2003
▪Gloria Steinem co-founded several other advocacy organizations, including the Women's Action Alliance, the Ms. Foundation for Women, Voters for Choice, and the Women's Media Center
▪Gloria Steinem co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971 alongside Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm, and Betty Friedan to advance pro-equality women in political office
▪In 2013, then-President Barack Obama awarded Gloria Steinem the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States

Early journalism career

▪In 1963, Gloria Steinem went undercover as a Playboy Bunny cocktail waitress for 11 days to write a groundbreaking two-part exposé, 'A Bunny's Tale,' for Show magazine detailing sexist and low-paying working conditions
▪In 1968, Gloria Steinem helped found New York Magazine, where Steinem worked as a columnist focusing on progressive social issues and women's rights
▪Following the publication of 'A Bunny's Tale,' Gloria Steinem struggled to get serious journalism assignments because editors primarily associated Steinem with being a Playboy Bunny

Listening as advocacy method

▪In her later years, Gloria Steinem hosted 'Talking Circles' for guests in her New York City home to foster community and discussion
▪Gloria Steinem described herself as an 'entrepreneur of social change' who prioritized traveling, listening to women's stories, and making connections to empower them
▪Gloria Steinem emphasized the importance of in-person connection, stating in a 2015 interview that people cannot truly empathize with each other unless they are in the same room

Reproductive rights activism

▪Gloria Steinem dedicated her 2015 memoir, 'My Life on the Road,' to Dr. John Sharpe, the British physician who performed her abortion under the condition that she would not reveal his name and would do what she wanted with her life
▪Gloria Steinem's feminist activism was catalyzed in 1969 when she attended an abortion 'speak-out' in a New York church, where women publicly shared their experiences with illegal abortions
▪At the age of 22, Gloria Steinem obtained a secret illegal abortion in London before traveling to India on a research scholarship