Gloria Steinem is 80 - YouLookFab Forum

Gloria Steinem is 80 today and this article with some of her best comments are, well, the best. I joined N.O.W. (National Organization for Women) when the chapter first started at my college in 1971. Then I really did not understand what the women were talking about, I was only 17. I wish I could go back to those days and participate in the conversations instead of just listening. I do not think I absorbed enough of what was said. I can read about the conversation but the writing takes it out of context. It is the discussion I want from these women. Maybe that is why I love YLF so much. We have great discussions here.

Anyway, back to Gloria, my favorite quotes listed in the article are:

"We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons... but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters."
"One day an army of gray-haired women may quietly take over the Earth."

About #1 - I did raise my son like a daughter. Friends and my daughter have always given me a hard time about it.

About #2 - I want to join this army but my hair refuses to turn grey, really I just have a few of them. Do you think they will still let me join?

11 years ago

LACeleste

Veteran

Great article Deb. I really like the first quote. Although I don't have sons, I relate to the message.

Thanks for posting!

Suz

(website)

Oh, I love her. Thanks for posting this, Deb. It's hard to believe she is 80.

Jules

Interesting headline.... "For 80 years, GS has made it great to be a girl". Girl, really? Or is this 4th wave business I'm too old for

Thistle

I loved hearing her speak when I was in college as well. Very memorable.

Echo

I remember winning a game of Taboo (where you need to get your partner to say a word without using most of the common synonyms or associated words) by saying, "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a ____" and having my sister exclaim, "Bicycle!!" We both erroneously attributed the quote to Steinem at the time, although the quote is actually attributable to Irina Dunn, who changed the philosopher's, "Man needs God like fish need bicycles."

Regardless, I have the utmost respect for Steinem, and she influenced so much of feminist culture. I hate the fact that so many younger women disavow the term "feminism" while still purporting to believe in everything it stands for.

Vicki

Deb, I love you for posting this and I have always admired Gloria Steinem since the early days of Ms. Magazine. She stands as an icon who sees herself shoulder-to-shoulder with all of us.

I salute you and thank you for raising your son like a daughter. As for the grey hair, I see a couple of women in my exercise class with the most gorgeous grey and white hair, respectively, and they have no idea that I'm standing behind them admiring their locks.

Jaime

Please pardon a moment of nostalgia. My first real job was at the Ms. Foundation (not the magazine). I was there the year they started Take My Daughter to Work - the idea of a forceful red headed consultant a bit along the lines of Frasier's agent if I recall correctly. I briefly met Gloria Steinam at an event and that is my claim to fame for today.

deb

Way to go Shevia!

rachylou

Eh, well, to be the wet blanket... kinda interesting. It didn't work so well for me and mine being raised like the opposite sex and totally independent and the sexual liberation and the no-fault divorce and having to take 'social living' three, four times. I do, however, enjoy working. Although that's interesting too, because my peeps did the family business thing... so everybody always worked.

Sorry to be the kill joy. I *am* a feminist. But at the same time, the whole thing left me with strong feelings...

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