Steinem, Gloria (stīn'um) [key], 1934–, American journalist and feminist, b. Toledo, Ohio, grad. Smith College (B.A., 1956). Steinem gained prominence as a spokeswoman for women's rights in articles, lectures, and television appearances. She helped found the National Women's Political Caucus (1971), the Women's Action Alliance (1971), and the Coalition of Labor Union Women (1974). She was also the founding editor (1972) of Ms., a feminist magazine, remaining actively involved until its closing (1987) and becoming a consulting editor upon its revival (1990). Her books include Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions (1983), a biography of Marilyn Monroe (1986), Revolution from Within (1992), and the essay collection Moving beyond Words (1993).
See biographies by S. Henry and E. Taitz (1987), C. G. Heilbrun (1995), and S. L. Stern (1997).
