Remembering Gloria Steinem
REMEMBERING GLORIA STEINEM
We just lost a cultural icon. Yet another American lighthouse has gone dark. Gloria Steinem, one of the most important figures in the history of the feminist movement, died yesterday at the age of 92.
Steinem’s death comes only a week after we lost Dolly Parton. Both of these pioneering women of great influence were truly remarkable—-but in very different ways. Their imagery and personas were polar opposites. But their fierce dedication to their beliefs and unwavering devotion to causes bigger than themselves shall outlive them for many decades to come and rightfully becomes their lasting legacy.
Rather than spend time here retelling Steinem’s life story and accomplishments, instead — I’ll just post a photo of her autobiographical narrative I purchased (and read) about ten years ago, which she autographed. There are so many *small* moments told in this book, that become bigger things. Our lives are, in fact, many small moments and encounters on a timeline of who we ultimately become in the now. Some of these moments and encounters morph into unexpected turning points. Typically, the apex of change is other people. Casual conversations laced with unintended insults and outright patronization disturb and then incite a reaction. The unexpected confrontations with misogynistic hostility almost daily made Steinem into a fighter…..and a champion. It wasn’t just people and their archaic attitudes about gender and sexism she was battling. It was a system. A culture. A society. A nearly invincible and impervious beast, immune to change. Steinem confronted and challenged outdated societal norms, admittedly with mixed results. Activists rarely achieve the celebrations of what their life’s work deserves.
In My Life on the Road, I was most moved emotionally by Steinem’s bold revelation she had an abortion when she was much younger. At the time, the procedure was not legal in the U.S. She recalled how that brave doctor in London changed her life and enabled her to live her life on her own terms, making her own decisions about her body and her future. Had that option not been available to Steinem, she admits her life would have been very different and her progressive activism might have never come to fruition. That story made me realize how important reproductive rights are, and why they must be protected (even though, we’ve devolved into oppressive restrictions on this issue).
I don’t have any figures on this, but my guess is Steinem’s book was mostly bought and read by women. And that makes me sad. The audience that most needs to read this, and understand her life and legacy, is MEN. That’s right. We, the men, are most in need of education. Feminism isn’t just about women. It’s about human rights. It’s about personal empowerment. It’s about freedom. It’s about living up to our most noble ideals and ambitions.
Gloria Steinem lived up to her most noble ideas and she surpassed her ambitions. She should continue to be an inspiration — to ALL of us.
