In the early 70s, my godmother introduced young teenager me to Ms. Magazine, and to Gloria Steinem. I think they’d been publishing maybe 6 months at the most. I read that issue from cover to cover, and then again. Every time I’d visit, I’d catch up on the new issue. My eyes were opened to feminism through my mother and godmother and that magazine. They’d gobbled up “The Feminist Mystique,” the defining feminist book of their college years, though neither of them were as isolated or dependent on men as many of their friends. But that new wave, the Second Wave of feminism landed in fertile ground, and my sister and I, and my godmother’s son, were the lucky beneficiaries of their growing awareness.

(left) Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes, New York 1971 © Dan Wynn and (right) Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Daniel Bagan, 2013

One of the quotes that came up as people talked about her today was this one:

“At my age, in this still hierarchical time, people often ask me if I’m ‘passing the torch.’ I explain that I’m keeping my torch, thank you very much—and I’m using it to light the torches of others.”

Thanks, Gloria. You did a lot of good in the world.

[crossposted on Substack]