Gloria Steinem, Trailblazing Feminist Voice and Ms. Magazine Co-Founder, Dies at 92

Gloria Steinem, the celebrated author and activist who became a defining figure of the American women's movement, has died. She was 92. Her death was announced on Wednesday via her personal and foundation social media pages, stating she passed away at her home in New York City.

Steinem was instantly recognizable, with her signature streaked hair and large aviator glasses. She was a constant presence on the front lines of advocacy, spending much of her life traveling to speak at college campuses, community centers, rallies, and marches. She firmly believed in the power of physical presence, telling The Varta Wire in a 2015 interview, "You can't do it on the phone or on the web. You have to be there with all five senses."

Her career began in journalism, where she gained early notoriety for a 1963 undercover assignment that exposed degrading conditions within Hugh Hefner's Playboy empire—a job she would later express regret over. A pivotal moment came six years later when she attended a meeting where women spoke openly in favor of abortion rights, an event she credited with redirecting her path toward activism.

Reflecting on the reversal of Roe v. Wade in a 2022 email, Steinem, who had herself undergone an illegal abortion at age 22, connected the issue to the core of democracy. "That speak-out was the beginning of activism for me," she wrote. "Either our control over our own bodies is equal, regardless of sex or race, or we're not living in a democracy."