NEW YORK — Gloria Steinem, the pioneering journalist, author and activist who became one of the most recognizable faces of the American feminist movement, has died at 92.

Steinem died peacefully at her home in New York City on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, surrounded by people who loved her, according to a statement from her foundation. Her cause of death was not disclosed.

Her death marks the end of a career that stretched across more than six decades — from undercover journalism in the 1960s to the national fight for gender equality, reproductive rights and greater political representation for women.

🕊️ “SHE CONTINUED WORKING FOR EQUALITY”
Gloria’s Foundation announced her death Thursday, saying her nearly century-long life was well lived and that she continued working for equality until the very end.

The announcement immediately triggered tributes from politicians, activists, journalists and cultural figures who described Steinem as a transformative force whose influence reached generations of women.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called her a leader who helped open doors for millions of women.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remembered her as a fearless pioneer, while tennis legend Billie Jean King said Steinem had helped light a torch that others now have a responsibility to carry forward.

📰 THE JOURNALIST WHO EXPOSED THE PLAYBOY CLUB
Before she became a defining figure in feminism, Steinem built her reputation as a journalist.

One of her most famous early investigations came in 1963, when she went undercover as a Playboy Bunny at a New York Playboy Club.

Her resulting article, A Bunny’s Tale, documented poor pay and humiliating working conditions faced by women employed at the club.

The investigation helped establish Steinem as a journalist willing to enter places others might avoid — and examine how women were treated behind the public image of glamorous institutions.

That reporting career eventually merged with activism, transforming Steinem from a journalist covering social inequality into one of its most influential opponents.

✊ A FOUNDING FIGURE OF MODERN FEMINISM
Steinem became a leading organizer during the women’s movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

She helped found the National Women’s Political Caucus and the Ms. Foundation for Women, while also becoming a co-founder of Ms. magazine in 1971.

Through journalism, public speaking and organizing, she helped push issues including workplace equality, reproductive rights and sexual harassment into the American political mainstream.

Her influence extended far beyond the United States.

Steinem traveled extensively, speaking at universities, rallies and community events while mentoring younger activists and encouraging women to organize politically and economically.

🔥 SHE BECAME BOTH A SYMBOL AND A TARGET
Steinem’s visibility also made her a frequent target of criticism.

Her appearance, fashion and personal life were regularly used by opponents to question whether she represented “serious” feminism.

Her decision not to marry for most of her life was repeatedly scrutinized, as was the fact that she did not have children.

She eventually married businessman David Bale in 2000, when she was 66. Bale, the father of actor Christian Bale, died from brain cancer three years later. Steinem famously explained her decision by saying that she had not changed — marriage had changed.

🏛️ HER VOICE REMAINED POWERFUL INTO HER 90S
Steinem never fully stepped away from public activism.

She continued speaking about women’s rights, reproductive freedom and equality well into old age.

President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

After the 2016 election of Donald Trump, she became an honorary co-chair of the Women’s March on Washington.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Steinem continued publicly defending reproductive freedom and argued that the fight for women’s control over their bodies was far from over.

🌎 HER LEGACY REACHED FAR BEYOND FEMINISM
Steinem’s influence cannot easily be reduced to one movement or one political issue.

She helped change the way Americans talked about women in the workplace, political power, sexual harassment, reproductive rights and equality under the law.

She also pushed the feminist movement to address race, class and other forms of inequality — a position that sometimes put her at the center of difficult debates within the movement itself.

Even critics acknowledged that she helped transform feminism from a collection of campaigns into a much larger political and cultural force.

💬 A LIFE BUILT AROUND WORDS
Steinem was known not only for activism but also for her ability to turn complex political arguments into memorable lines.

One of her most enduring messages was simple:

“Don’t agonize. Organize.”

Her career reflected that philosophy.

She wrote books, founded organizations, appeared on television, spoke at rallies and spent decades traveling from city to city pushing audiences to become politically involved.

She also remained willing to acknowledge mistakes.

Some of her comments and political positions drew intense criticism, including remarks during the 2008 Democratic primary that reignited tensions over race and gender. She later addressed the controversy and continued to argue that sexism and racism could not be treated as separate forces in American life.

🕯️ TRIBUTES POUR IN
News of Steinem’s death brought tributes from across American public life.

Activists remembered the doors she helped open.

Politicians highlighted her influence on generations of women.

Journalists remembered a reporter who became one of the most influential activists of her generation.

And supporters gathered outside her Manhattan home to pay their respects, describing a sense of gratitude for the life she had lived and the causes she had championed.

Her foundation has encouraged people wishing to honor her memory to continue supporting the work she spent her life advancing.

🚨 AN ERA HAS COME TO AN END
Gloria Steinem entered journalism when American women faced enormous legal, economic and social barriers.

She lived long enough to see many of those barriers challenged — and spent much of her life challenging them herself.

Her work was controversial at times. Her politics were scrutinized. Her decisions were debated.

But her influence was undeniable.

From a young reporter investigating the treatment of Playboy Bunnies to a national leader of the women’s movement, Steinem became a symbol of a social transformation that reshaped American culture.

She died at 92, but the organizations she helped build, the writing she left behind and the generations of activists she inspired will continue the work she spent decades advancing.

Gloria Steinem is gone. Her movement is not.

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FOX 5 DC — Gloria Steinem, feminist icon and journalist, dies at 92