Gloria Steinem’s Final Essay
Gloria Steinem, in a posthumous essay for The New Yorker:For me, saying that I am a feminist has always meant that I
believe in the social, economic, and political equality of all
males and females of all races and groups. I know this sounds too
simple to need a word, but equality is still the exception, not
the rule.Maybe we should call it egalitarianism, or even humanism. The
problem with humanism is that it is often interpreted as being
anti-religion, so I don’t think it’s inclusive enough. Regardless
of what we call it, it just means treating each of us as uniquely
human. The experiences of race and gender and class are very real
and important, but they are also constructed and changeable. Our
humanity is consistent and sacred.Still, for some, it remains a mystery why women need a movement to
distinguish our efforts toward equality. For me, it seems quite
obvious.