Gloria Steinem Dies at 92: Sexism She Faced, Then and Now

Gloria Steinem, the feminist icon and pioneering journalist who co-founded Ms. magazine and the National Women's Political Caucus, died Wednesday at age 92. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, Steinem was one of the most influential voices of the modern women's rights movement. Over more than six decades of advocacy, she saw dramatic changes in women's lives, many addressing the sexism she personally experienced. Some of that sexism now seems almost incomprehensible; other aspects feel surprisingly familiar.

Landlords Could Turn Away Single Women

In 1968, when Steinem was renting her own apartment, landlords often refused to rent to single women. In an interview with poet and political activist Suheir Hammad, Steinem said, "When I moved into this place in 1968, it was still common for landlords to refuse to rent to single women. If you were a female human being, you clearly were going to marry and skip off. Or, if you could afford the rent, you must be a hooker."

At that time, New York City landlords could legally discriminate against tenants based on sex or marital status. It wasn't until 1973 that the city outlawed such discrimination. A year later, Congress added sex as a protected category under the federal Fair Housing Act.

Marriage Could Cost Women Their Rights

Steinem was engaged at age 22 but broke it off. She didn't marry until she was 66. Explaining her decision, she said, "I didn't change, marriage changed. We spent 30 years in the United States changing the marriage laws. If I had married when I was supposed to get married, I would have lost my name, my legal residence, my credit rating, many of my civil rights. That's not true anymore. It's possible to make an equal marriage."

Indeed, laws affecting married women have changed dramatically. When Steinem was first engaged, marital rape was still legal. It wasn't until 1993 that it was a crime in all 50 states. Lenders also treated married women differently, often requiring a husband's signature for credit. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 made discrimination based on sex or marital status illegal. Even a woman's name could be affected: as late as 1971, a federal court upheld Alabama's requirement that married women get driver's licenses under their husbands' surnames.

Judged by Her Looks

Steinem said she was never called beautiful until she became publicly identified as a feminist in her mid-30s. She believed the focus on her attractiveness allowed people to suggest her success came from her looks, not her work. A 1992 Vanity Fair profile, ostensibly about one of America's most important feminist thinkers, dwells on her appearance, describing her as "whippet-thin and gorgeous, as glamorous as a movie star," and her outfit as "a miniskirt riding outrageously high over those spectacular racehorse legs, a glittering gold tunic that made her stand out instantly in a crowded room, that radiant face partly obscured by the ever present curtain of blond-streaked hair."

Decades later, the emphasis on women's looks persists. People still feel comfortable evaluating women's appearance even when it's irrelevant to their achievements. Just last week, President Trump called New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman "unattractive inside and out" and referred to her as "Maggot Haberman." Amal Clooney, an international human-rights lawyer whose work involves genocide and war crimes, still sees coverage centered on her hair and clothing, as recent articles about the Venice Film Festival demonstrate.

Steered Away From Serious Assignments

Early in her journalism career, Steinem wanted to write about politics, but editors often assigned her stories about food and fashion, including an article on textured stockings she called "the lowpoint of my life." When she pitched political stories to The New York Times Sunday Magazine, an editor told her, "I don't think of you that way."

Today, women are still steered into different work than men. Women journalists remain disproportionately concentrated in health, education, and social-issue coverage, while men more often cover politics, technology, and sports. Research in other workplaces also finds women are more likely to be asked to take on tasks offering fewer advancement opportunities.

No Word for Sexual Harassment

Steinem described an incident where a male editor gave her a choice: spend the afternoon with him in a hotel, or mail his letters on the way out. She chose the letters. "There was no word for sexual harassment then," she said. "It was just life."

The term "sexual harassment" wasn't coined until 1975 by feminist activists and educators at Cornell University. In 1980, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission formally recognized workplace sexual harassment as a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Six years later, the Supreme Court affirmed that prohibition. The behavior now has a name and is illegal, but it hasn't disappeared. A 2025 New York State poll revealed that nearly a third of women have experienced sexual harassment at work.

Abortion Rights Granted, Then Taken Away

Steinem had an illegal abortion in London as a young woman. Later, as a journalist, she attended a gathering where women discussed their experiences with illegal abortions, which she cited as a catalyst for her activism. In 1973, Roe v. Wade recognized a constitutional right to abortion, which remained until the Supreme Court overturned it in 2022, leaving abortion policy to the states.

This stands out among the many changes Steinem witnessed: it was the only instance of a legal right women had gained that was later taken away. Steinem experienced sexism firsthand, fought to change it, and lived to see real progress. Her death reminds us that some of that work remains unfinished, and hopefully inspires us to continue it.