Gloria Steinem, pioneering feminist icon, writer and civil rights activist, dies at 92

The writer, activist and organizer was a trailblazing figure in the women's rights movement.

Gloria Steinem, the journalist and feminist trailblazer, died Wednesday at 92, a post on her official Instagram page said.

Steinem was one of the most high-profile figures in the fight for women's equality on the national stage over many decades. She died peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by loved ones, the post said.

"Gloria's near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end," the post read. "Gloria's greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard. Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves. Gloria lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense of humor.

"Gloria loved the tradition of lighting signal fires on hills to light the way to the other side of the mountain. Lighting your own candle for Gloria makes you part of this global and celestial community circle."

The post requested that those wishing to honor her with a gift instead donate to Gloria's Foundation.

Gloria Steinem speaks at a 1978 rally in New York.

(Photo Researchers via Getty Images)

Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1934, Steinem's roots in civil rights and political activism began in the 1960s.

She was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War, signing a pledge vowing to refuse tax payments while the government was at war.

She worked closely with Black civil rights activists in the '60s and '70s, later acknowledging that Black women had been key influences on her feminism. Her 1969 essay, "After Black Power, Women's Liberation," and established her as a feminist icon.

In 1971 she co-founded Ms. magazine to help give a platform to feminist voices. Reflecting on the magazine in 2020, she said, "Even before I began to think about anything that might be called feminism or to question the structures that women encountered, I and lots of women could not write about political subjects for the existing magazines. We were thought to be the experts on, you know, food, makeup, babies and celebrities. But that was pretty much it.

"It became more and more clear to lots of us that we could not either write what we wanted to or read or edit what we wanted to in the existing magazines. So we started to meet and discuss whether or not, you know, a magazine might be possible."

Gloria Steinem at a press conference about Ms magazine in 1985.

(Robert R. McElroy via Getty Images)

Later, in 1984, Steinem was arrested during an anti-apartheid protest outside the South African Embassy in Washington.

Steinem received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's top civilian honor, in 2013, as well as dozens of other awards over the course of her career.

She remained an active voice for women's rights until her death.

Paying tribute, Roxane Gay, the author of "Bad Feminist", said: "Gloria was one of a kind. Genuine, generous, curious, thoughtful. She lived a staggering life and her passing is a staggering loss tempered only by the ferocity of her legacy."

Comedian, actor and director Amy Schumer posted: "Gloria — forever with us everyday," while actor Jameela Jamil said, "My mentor is gone. What a gift she was."

Journalist Ann Curry said, "Thank you Gloria. You once told me in an interview that it was your mother's suffering that first moved you to take action for the rights of women. May you now be in her embrace. How the lives of so many shine a little brighter because you were in the world."