Liberté vs Liberty

When discussing the progression of women’s rights in the United States, it is nearly impossible to do so without mentioning Gloria Steinem. As a journalist, activist, organizer, and one of the most recognizable figures of second-wave feminism, Steinem spent decades challenging the expectations placed upon women and fighting for greater political and social equality.

Gloria Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934. Her childhood was relatively unconventional, as her family traveled frequently before her parents eventually separated. Steinem later attended Smith College, graduating in 1956. After college, she spent time in India before returning to the United States and beginning a career in journalism. However, entering journalism as a woman in the 1950s and 1960s meant confronting many of the same inequalities she would later spend her career fighting against.

One of Steinem’s earliest widely recognized pieces came in 1963, when she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny at the Playboy Club in New York. Her article, “A Bunny’s Tale,” documented the working conditions and treatment of women inside the club. Rather than simply discussing sexism from the outside, Steinem exposed how women could be judged, controlled, and valued according to their appearance. The experience helped establish her as a journalist willing to investigate issues that many mainstream publications overlooked.

By the late 1960s and early 1970s, Steinem had become increasingly involved in the growing women’s liberation movement. She spoke publicly about issues including reproductive freedom, workplace discrimination, political representation, and the Equal Rights Amendment. Rather than viewing these as separate problems, Steinem argued that they were connected by a larger system that limited women’s ability to control their own lives.

In 1971, Steinem joined other activists in founding the National Women’s Political Caucus, an organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation and representation in politics. Around the same period, she helped launch Ms. magazine. At a time when women’s issues were frequently pushed aside by mainstream publications, Ms. created a space where topics such as abortion, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and workplace inequality could be discussed openly. The magazine helped bring feminist conversations from activist circles into homes across America.

Steinem was also a major supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment. After Congress approved the amendment in 1972, she traveled, spoke, and organized in support of its ratification. Although the ERA ultimately failed to become part of the Constitution by its ratification deadline, Steinem continued advocating for it and for the larger principle behind it: that equality between men and women should be explicitly protected.

What makes Steinem particularly important to the history of feminism is that her work did not end with the height of second-wave feminism. She continued advocating for reproductive rights, political participation, racial equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and other social justice movements for decades. Even as she grew older, she remained involved in the movement and encouraged younger generations to make it their own.

On September 2, 2026, Gloria Steinem passed away at the age of 92. Her death represents the loss of one of the most recognizable voices in American feminism, especially at a time when many of the rights she spent her life fighting for are once again being debated. The overturning of Roe v. Wade, continued debates surrounding the Equal Rights Amendment, and questions about women’s equality show that her work did not end with her life.

However, Steinem never believed that the future of feminism should depend on one person. When people asked who she would eventually “pass the torch” to, she rejected the idea entirely. Instead, she explained that she wanted to use her own torch to light the torches of others. There should not be one person responsible for carrying an entire movement forward; there should be thousands, or millions, carrying it together.

I think this idea has become even more meaningful following her death. Gloria Steinem can no longer personally attend protests, write another article, or speak against another restriction on women’s rights. But the people whose torches she helped light can. Her death does not mean that her fight ends; instead, it places greater responsibility on the generations of women and men who grew up with freedoms that activists like Steinem helped secure.

Steinem spent her life arguing that progress is not inevitable. Rights have to be fought for, protected, and sometimes fought for again. Her generation pushed feminism forward, but it was never supposed to be theirs forever. Now, especially as reproductive freedom and women’s equality continue to face challenges, it is our responsibility to continue what they began.

Gloria Steinem did not leave behind a single torch for someone else to carry. She left behind countless ones. And perhaps the greatest way to honor her life is to make sure that we continue lighting more.