Gloria Steineim—the era-defining feminist activist, journalist, author, and organizer—has died, according to a statement from her foundation. She was 92.
Here, we revisit a profile of Steinem by Liz Smith, “Coming of Age in America,” originally published in the June 1971 issue of Vogue.
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Around Gloria Steinem is that faint nimbus of sexy fanaticism thrown off by those who are righteous in dedication and devotion, who can’t be bought or bossed, who have turned their backs on the usual rewards. Gloria is an incipient excitement—any minute she may cut loose, grab a rope, and drive the money changers from the temple, do battle in behalf of women, lettuce workers, grape pickers, Black Panthers, peace students, draft dodgers, the racially deprived, or anyone who is disenfranchised or underprivileged in her eyes.
“Gloria is my symbol of the modern woman. Intelligent, beautiful, and idealistic. She’s thought out the way she wants to live and acts on it.” —Clay S. Felker, editor, New York magazine
“You know that guy in Chicago who killed all those nurses. That’s Gloria—the Richard Speck of the Radical Left.” —Al Capp, cartoonist/columnist
“Miss Steinem is a political analyst of acumen and influence.” —Newsweek
“If you were a man, I’d hit you right in the mouth!” —Hans Conried, actor, to Gloria Steinem on television talk show
With the exception of a few such enemies as Al Capp and Hans Conried, the general feeling among even those who find the Women’s Liberation movement a hateful toad is that Gloria Steinem is the shining jewel in its forehead. When Gloria rises to give her “Fundamental Revolution” lecture, eyes glaze with admiration.
Gloria figuratively struck down the tough reporter Pete Hamill like some Saul on the road to Damascus. Pete was on his way persecuting the “Chris-tians,” as it were, but Gloria turned him into a regular Paul, and he’s now for Women’s Lib.
“I was slow to catch on: I’m Irish, you know. I couldn’t take the Ti-Grace Atkinsons, and so, like a lot of men, I tended to trivialize the movement. But Gloria explained it. Her point of view is eliminating a lot of these crazy barriers. She is the best spokesman the movement could ever have, because it’s not like she’s into some kind of freaky public therapy when she does it.”
Gloria appreciates Pete, but not such compliments and distinctions. She believes the movement is breaking down barriers between women of all kinds, between the beautiful and ugly, the married and single, the old and young, and, surprisingly, between the housewives of middle-class suburbia and lower-income Black women. She says she’s even learned to stop reacting to the occasional fearful male who assumes any Women’s Lib member is a lesbian. (“If one reacts in a shocked, defensive way, saying, ‘Well, I’m not gay and I can prove it!’ she’s just condemning her lesbian sisters in and out of the movement. Women who are lesbians are twice discriminated against. And the movement is for all women. If I’m happy as I am, why should I feel threatened at being called something I’m not, or putting lesbians down by acting offended.”)
Why is Gloria Steinem so effective? For one thing, she is a beautiful person, both in the lower- and upper-case senses.
She has made it in the world and doesn’t need recognition, so her integrity stands fairly unquestioned. The eligible attractive men in her life dispel any notion that she might be—well, you know, not normal. She speaks softly and looks as cool, effortless, and unfrenetic as a rich girl on a frat picnic. This is an illusion—she is burning for causes, dying inside of stage fright, trammeled with care born of undertaking too much.
