Gloria Steinem, a pioneering activist and feminist, died on Wednesday at age 92. Known for her work challenging societal norms around women, Steinem first gained attention in 1963 with an undercover investigation of the Playboy Club, published in *Show* magazine, intended to expose the objectification of women. In 1971, she co-founded *Ms.* magazine, a publication that became a central voice of second-wave feminism.
One contemporary of Steinem recalled a contradiction in her approach: condemning objectification while also leveraging it for the advancement of liberal feminism. The founding of *Ms.* magazine followed meetings with other early feminist leaders, including Kate Millett and Shulie Firestone, whose works like *Sexual Politics* and *The Dialectic of Sex* were influential in shaping the movement. The writer attended meetings of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in New York City.
While ABC News reported Steinem’s death as part of its broader news coverage, National Review framed her legacy as a rejection of traditional womanhood. The Free Press noted the passing of a generation of second-wave feminists, with the author reflecting on their early alignment with feminist goals and their emergence as leaders in the movement. The passing of Steinem leaves a dwindling number of original second-wave feminists still actively working.
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