Gloria Steinem, the trailblazing feminist activist, journalist and icon, has died. She was 92.
The leader of second-wave feminism died peacefully at her home in New York City on Wednesday surrounded by loved ones, her team shared on Thursday. A cause of death has not yet been made public.
“Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end,” according to their statement. “Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard. Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves. Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humor.”
“Gloria loved the tradition of lighting signal fires on hills to light the way to the other side of the mountain. Lighting your own candle for Gloria makes you part of this global and celestial community circle,” the message continued. “In lieu of flowers, Gloria has asked that those wishing to honor her with a gift, may make a donation to Gloria’s Foundation.”
Born March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio, Steinem first made a name for herself as a New York magazine columnist in the 1960s before launching Ms. magazine. She also co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Women’s Action Alliance and the Women’s Media Center throughout her endeavors.
Amongst her many achievements and honors, Steinem was the first woman to speak at the National Press Club, helped bolster the image and legacy of Wonder Woman in the early ’70s, championed the abortion rights movement and even wrote about inequality through her time as a Playboy Bunny. She was also the recipient of many various awards through organizations such as the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, the ACLU of Southern California, the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the National Women’s Hall of Fame, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Glamour and Time.
“She spent her recent years doing the two things she loved most: being in community with others and writing. She has welcomed hundreds of guests into her living room for Talking Circles, a tradition she insisted will continue long after she is no longer with us,” Steinem’s obituary announcement further noted. “As Gloria wrote in her forthcoming book, ‘An Unexpected Life,’ ‘I have now lived for more than fifty years in this brownstone, in rooms that have witnessed lives before mine, and will know others after I am gone.’”
“This book, along with her commitment to her home becoming a center for social justice movements, are among the many gifts Gloria has given the world with the hope they have ripple effects for generations to come,” the statement added. “Gloria often quoted the adage: ‘The flap of a butterfly’s wing can change the weather hundreds of miles away.’”
