Women of Northeast Pennsylvania reflected on the impact of feminist activist Gloria Steinem following her death Wednesday at age 92.
“We lost a true American icon,” said state Rep. Bridget Malloy Kosierowski, a Democrat who represents the Lackawanna County-based 114th House District. “Gloria Steinem’s courage, conviction, and lifelong commitment to equality changed our country and inspired generations to believe that a more just world was possible. Her voice helped countless others find their own. We should honor her extraordinary legacy by continuing the work she devoted her life to.”
Rose Randazzo Pizzuto, a Pittston attorney, said Steinem was an inspiration growing up in the 1960s and 1970s. Steinem’s attempts to push for an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution “got me thinking about law at a young age,” she said. (The proposed Equal Rights Amendment failed.)
“She really inspired me to be vocal about equal rights not only for women, but for the gay and lesbian community,” Randazzo Pizzuto said.
Susan Poulson, a history professor at the University of Scranton, noted Steinem’s impact as a journalist and co-founder of Ms. magazine. Steinem famously got an undercover job as a Playboy Club waitress to write about the women who worked there.
“Gloria Steinem was very important for bringing attention to how journalism, and print media, kind of portrayed women in subordinate ways, and trying to combat against that,” Poulson said.
Legal abortion was one of Steinem’s primary causes.
“Planned Parenthood Keystone recognizes Gloria Steinem’s passing and honors her lifelong commitment to reproductive freedom, equality, and women’s rights,” said Melissa L. Reed, president and CEO of the statewide Pennsylvania group. “Her courage and advocacy helped shape generations of progress, and her legacy will continue to inspire the fight for bodily autonomy and justice.”