Gloria, We've Come a Long Way, Baby

The older I get, the more people I am losing - in particular, those who inspired me.

Gloria Marie Steinem, an American journalist, feminist, and activist, dedicated her life to women's rights, especially in the 1960s - 1970s. Steinem co-founded Ms. magazine in 1972 (which is still published) and helped establish the National Women's Political Caucus, the Women's Action Alliance, and the Women's Media Center. She spoke out for the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage, and equal rights and pay for women. She encouraged women to speak up and spoke for men to listen. Steinem also traveled the world speaking on behalf of women who didn't have a "voice." In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Gloria Steinem the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Gloria died on September 3 at the age of 92.

Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Steinem "pushed open doors not just for herself, but for literally millions of women behind her. "

The late 1960s and early 1970s were my teenage and young-adult years growing up in America. As Gloria made the headlines, I listened, but I felt a little ahead of this feminist world; as I have often said, my Dad was one of the first feminists that I ever knew. He had been a bachelor for many years, and in our home, both my mother and father did the housework and yard work. There was no "Women's Work - Git in the kitchen and make me a sandwich!" in our house.

You see, this was rare after WWII, and when traditional household gender roles were being re-established in the 1950s - 1960s, housekeeping and cooking were often female roles, while men took jobs outside the home, and on weekends he did the yard and car maintenance.

My parents enjoyed cooking together (and sometimes caught them dancing the waltz or the two-step in the kitchen while the chicken was frying and the vegetables boiling), and working together in the flower and vegetable gardens. I remember Dad frantically ironing our frilly Sunday dresses while Mom was getting ready for church. And often when we got back from church, Dad either had a picnic lunch ready or dinner in the oven. When Mom wanted to go back to college, Dad adjusted his work schedule so he could be home in time when we returned from school. He wanted his daughters to see the wee-early-morning televised rocket launches, and we took a trip to the Smithsonian to see the moon rock. I think he hoped he was raising the first female astronaut. I was taught how to pump gas, check the liquids under the car hood, and even how to put bait on a fishing hook and gut a fish - these things were known as "boy jobs." I found out later that some kids didn't have dads who washed the dishes - and we certainly didn't see men do housework on television; I don't remember Ricky Ricardo, Sheriff Andy Taylor, Darrin Stephens, Rob Petrie, Mike Brady, or Herman Munster washing dishes. Thank goodness for Mary Richards, who broke television norms as the first independent career woman whose life centered around her job as a producer for a fictional news station. 

The media and businesses took advantage of this new era with commercials featuring "hip-looking" women (sunglasses, blue eyeshadow, short skirts, and white go-go boots) cleaning the house, and with products marketed separately to the female in the household. One example was cigarettes: Eve came in a pretty, floral soft pack, and the cigarette had a floral-printed band around the filter. Virginia Slims was longer and narrower than standard cigarettes and in a slim pack designed to fit easily into a purse, and it advertised with a clever slogan.

"You've come a long way, baby" - Virginia Slims, 1968

In the last 100 years, women have gained critical political, economic, reproductive rights, and autonomy. Unfortunately, over the last six years, we've seen a shift. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned women's constitutional right to make their own healthcare decisions. This ruling ended nearly 50 years of federal protection under the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. According to a 2026 report by UN Women, women's rights are regressing worldwide due to an organized pushback against gender equality

With the selection of former television personality Pete Hegseth, now Secretary of Defense, he has pursued policies to remove women from combat roles and limit their career advancement in the U.S. military, and has fired or reassigned several top female military leaders. The Pentagon also removed thousands of images of women and minority achievements from the official websites and social media. 
Of course, Hegseth's personal pastor, a white nationalist from Idaho who leads the prayer at the Pentagon, has been given a voice in the media. He believes women should lose the right to vote, defends slavery as scripturally grounded, and has stated that homosexuality should be treated as a crime. 

The wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff recently condemned the declining birth rate among teenage girls, and her bestie, the Widow of Charlie, has encouraged young women to marry young and famously advised them to "have more children than you can afford." 

It's time to gather, make a plan, and use the tools that Gloria gave us. 

The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off! - Gloria Steinem