Gloria Steinem was the face of the equal rights movement in America in the 1960s. She was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1934. Her parents divorced in 1944 and she became responsible for caring for her mentally ill mother. After high school, she was able to attend Smith College in Massachusetts where she received her degree in government. She then was rewarded a fellowship that enabled her to study and in India where she initially took interest in activism that led to her involvement in the ERA movement. Upon her arrival back to the United States she became employed as a journalist in New York where she wrote for multiple different publications. As a female journalist, it was often challenging to find assignments, and Gloria's work as well as many other women journalists were pushed to the back burner of newspapers called "the women's pages." Gloria took issue with this but kept persevering as warriors do and gained substantial national attention when the magazine Show hired her to do a piece on the conditions of Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club. The attention was not so positive as Steinem revealed the sexist working conditions of the club. She kept going and eventually helped to found New York magazine as she became an editor and political writer.
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Her involvement in women's rights activism began after she spoke publically about her experience overseas getting an abortion at age twenty-two. After this event, she started attending and speaking at many different protests. As Debra Michels puts it, "her strong intellect and good looks made her an in-demand media guest and movement spokesperson" (NWHM). It's fascinating to think that her good-looks are something that made her more appealing to be listened to by powerful men at the time. Women being judged for their value based on their looks isn't a new occurrence in history. I can't help but wonder if her influence would have been less remarkable had she not been so attractive on top of her remarkable intellect.
In 1970, Gloria alongside her group of feminist activists argued against Ladies Home Journal for only sharing articles about housekeeping and motherhood and lacking to provide information on the ERA movement and women's rights. It was during this time that Gloria saw value in having a magazine that shared information on the women's movement thus causing her to team up with Patricia Carbine and Letty Cottin Pogrebin and in 1971, together they helped cofound Ms. magazine. Gloria was an editor and contributor for the next fifteen years and she still contributes in "an emeritus capacity to the present" (NWHM). Her work in the equal rights movement focused not only on the rights of white women rights but also on the rights of black women. Inclusion was always a driving factor in Steinem's activism.
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Gloria's role in advancing women's rights was not easy, it is because of persistent women like her that we are able to elect a woman into the vice-presidential position in 2020. It's her warrior-like spirit that helped her navigate through the patriarchy and prevail through so much doubt making her such an admirable woman. Her story and achievements are so significant they have inspired many TV shows, movies as well as documentaries about her life and her accomplishments. Gloria often simplified the ERA battle by defining a feminist as "anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men."
"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off" -Gloria Steinem
Works Cited
Michals, Debra. “Gloria Steinem.” National Women’s History Museum, 2017, https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/gloria-steinem
"Gloria Steinem- Full Biography". Office of Gloria Steinem. Brooklyn, http://www.gloriasteinem.com/about
Photos:
Unknown. Title Unknown. Found, CR. 14 February 2021, https://www.crfashionbook.com/culture/g28636093/angela-davis-quotes-inspiration/
Unknown. "Gloria Steinem at the Women’s Strike for Equality meeting, August 5, 1970." Found, New York Daily News Archive, Vogue Magazine. 14 February 2021, https://www.vogue.com/article/gloria-steinem-cfda-fashion-awards-2017-long-hair-blowout-glasses-diane-von-furstenberg
Katie, I really like that you questioned that if she didn't look the way she did, if men would actually listen to what she had to say. It's such an accurate statement, especially around the 1960's. It's also interesting to hear about the "women pages" while she was a journalist. It shows that even 60 years ago, a woman with the same credentials as a man was not receiving the same amount of recognition as a man would in a workplace. It's refreshing to see that she noticed it, and persisted in her journey to change that. I also enjoyed that you mentioned she was inclusive and fought for all women's rights, not just white women. I have heard briefly about Gloria Steinem, but thank you for educating me more about her!
ReplyDeleteReading about how her "good-looks" were mentioned as a reason why she was an in-demand media-guest and spokesperson was infuriating. Although I am not surprised by the comment, it definitely got my blood boiling. I was also annoyed at the mention of the "women pages." I know it's a feat it itself to have women's works published at all, but to have an entirely different section for them as though they were lesser than articles written by men is frustrating. Regardless, I respect Gloria for persevering in the face of inequality and continuing her fight for gender equality.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that reading about how her good looks were a deciding factor in a lot of things really irritated me. Women are more than just their looks. She has done so much for women and women rights and it had nothing to do with her looks. If she was less attractive than she would have never be focused on and none of this would have ever happened for women rights. That's terrible to think about. She did a wonderful thing for all women and we should be thankful for her. I've never heard of her but I'm glad I got to learn little more about her!
ReplyDeleteI love how you included your thoughts on how her looks contributed to her success... it's definitely still a problem today, the level of respect that men give women can be based off of how they are perceived. It reminds me of Dolly Parton as well, or Marilyn Monroe. I loved learning about how she was able to create a caucus for gender equality, it just shows how powerful she is.
ReplyDeleteGloria Steinem’s work for the feminist movement is impressive. It is impressive enough to be a woman who overcomes misogynistic setbacks like being placed as a writer on the “women’s page,” but to do so by uplifting women is inspiring. A story exposing the poor working conditions for women working for Hugh Hefner was so important because it was one showing people how women are treated in a job where they are monetizing their bodies. Work like this is still stigmatized now and I can only imagine was more so back then, and while it didn’t necessarily qualify as sex work since they were waitresses, the position very much lived in that realm. I would be interested to know how exactly Steinem’s piece affected public additudes towards Playboy Bunnies and sex workers and the role it played in trying to make these jobs safe for women. It is also impressive that she co-founded Ms. magazine. What I find particularly interesting about it is the way it parallels this start to her career where she was stuck writing for the women’s pages (which had a very negative connotation to it), and reclaiming it to be something positive by bringing women together to write about women’s rights. You did a great job choosing and showcasing someone who dedicates her life to advocating for women.
ReplyDeleteGloria Steinem is a hero of mine. I like that you brought up her attractiveness. It is an interesting to consider that particular factor. It is interesting because whether a woman in attractive or unattractive women are stigmatized. It showcases how women are scrutinized. It can feel like an enormous weight that one can not get out from under, if one allows themselves to be affected by the pressure. I love seeing women who don't succumb to that pressure.
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