Trailblazing feminist Gloria Steinem died at her Upper East Side home on Wednesday, according to a post on her social media account. She was 92.
The Instagram post said she died peacefully, and was “surrounded by some of the many who loved her.” It did not provide further details about a possible cause.
Steinem was born in Ohio and became one of the most visible leaders of the women’s rights movement through her journalism, activism and perseverance. After struggling to get serious reporting assignments in male-dominated newsrooms, she made headlines in 1963 when she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny to expose the working conditions at Hugh Hefner’s club. She later played an integral role at New York Magazine, where she became an editor and political writer.
In more recent years, she had welcomed hundreds of guests into her brownstone on East 73rd Street and Park Avenue for Talking Circles – where individuals gather and take turns speaking to share ideas, a tradition she insisted would continue after her death, according to the social media post.
“Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end,” the post continued, adding that her “greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard.”
Gloria Steinem
Steinem’s death happened just weeks before the expected publication of her memoir, "An Unexpected Life," which is slated to come out on Sept. 22.
“This book, along with her commitment to her home becoming a center for social justice movements, are among the many gifts Gloria has given the world with the hope they have ripple effects for generations to come,” the post said.
The post encouraged those looking to honor Steinem to light a candle or make a donation to her foundation.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
