Gloria Steinem

By hlkilbourne

  • Born on March 25, 1934

    Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio. Her parents separated when she was 10 years old. For most of Steinem's childhood, her mother exhibited erratic behaviors, and was in and out of mental institutions. Her grandmother, Pauline Perlmutter Steinem, was also a women's rights activist, and she ended up saving members of her family from the Holocaust.

  • Release of "I Was a Playboy Bunny"

    In 1963, Gloria Steinem published “I Was a Playboy Bunny” in Show magazine. For this article, Steinem went undercover to work for the Playboy mansion, and she attempted to expose the sexist and underpaid conditions that Playboy bunnies are exposed to. While Steinem drew criticism from it, this article only fueled her passion for exposing sexist and corrupt organizations. Later, it led to the founding of the Ms. magazine.

  • Becoming Founding Editor of "New York" Magazine

    Steinem eventually became the founding editor of New York magazine in 1968. In this position, she was able to cover a range of topics, and she was starting to get the respect she deserved. After an abortion conference in 1968, Steinem started focusing on why women weren’t given a strong voice in the media. During this time, she was able to further develop her feminist views, and eventually, become an outspoken advocate.

  • Founding of "Ms." magazine

    In December of 1971, Steinem and a few other women’s rights activists created the Ms. magazine. They created it with the purpose of giving a voice for women and calling out sexist ideas in society. With the creation of this magazine, Steinem had a platform to advocate for women’s rights, and it would propel into becoming the figure we see today.

  • Formation of "National Women's Political Caucus"

    While Steinem has been the founder of many organizations, one of her most impactful organizations was the formation of the National Women’s Political Caucus in 1972. This organization helps to create a more equal political climate. Upon seeing the success of this organization, Steinem included herself in more organizations dedicated to helping women succeed in specific fields.