Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday she was "heartsick" over the death of Gloria Steinem, the iconic feminist and activist who reshaped the fight for women's rights. Steinem died Wednesday at her home in New York City. She was 92.
In a phone interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Clinton described Steinem's activism as "rooted in optimism, and that's a moral choice." She called Steinem "one of the architects of the entire structure of women's equality," crediting her with tearing down obstacles that once blocked young women from pursuing careers based on their talents and hard work.
Clinton highlighted Steinem's influence on pivotal moments in American history, from enabling Sally Ride to become an astronaut to supporting women in Congress who passed Title IX, which expanded opportunities for girls in sports and academics. She also noted that while Steinem was not on the Supreme Court when Roe v. Wade was decided, her voice and activism were behind that ruling. "With all the setbacks that we've seen over the last decade or so, I want her voice to remain in our heads," Clinton said.
The former first lady also recalled Steinem's support for Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Clinton said Steinem often spoke about how women have come together for millennia to work collectively and improve life. She invoked Steinem's concept of "signal fires"—where people on one mountain would light a fire to alert another mountain of an impending event or a need to gather. "I'm trying to think of Gloria as an eternal signal fire," Clinton said.
Steinem began her journalism career in 1963, covering Playboy under Hugh Hefner and profiling John Lennon. Her activism was sparked later that decade when she met women advocating for abortion rights. In 2022, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, she told the Associated Press that this was "the beginning of activism for me." She added, "Either our control over our own bodies is equal, regardless of sex or race, or we're not living in a democracy."
Steinem founded Ms. Magazine in 1972, which grew its readership and continues today under the Feminist Majority Foundation. She was not without controversy; in 1990, a caller to Larry King's show told her to "rot in hell" for ruining the American family. President Nixon was once taped ridiculing the magazine, prompting Steinem to call him "the most sexually insecure chief of state since Napoleon" at a 1972 National Press Club event.
Decades later, President Obama awarded Steinem the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. "Because of her work across America and around the world, more women are afforded the respect and opportunities that they deserve," Obama said, "but she also changed how women thought about themselves."
Steinem's death has drawn tributes from across the political spectrum, underscoring her lasting impact on the women's movement and American politics. Her legacy is likely to be debated as the country continues to grapple with issues of gender equality and reproductive rights.
