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Gloria started college at Smith College, a prestigious school of the East Coast, where she graduated in 1956. After graduation, she moved to New York to pursue a career in journalism.
This is significant because her education allowed her to have a tremendous advantage on her public stance and access to the media. -
Gloria’s first assignment was a story written for a Men’s magazine know as Esquire in 1962. On September 1st, 1962 her article titled “The Moral Disarmament of Betty Coed: The Route of The Contraceptive Revolution” was published. This article changed sexual attitudes on college campuses across America and placed an emphasis on the contraceptive revolution. Birth control pills were not offered at the time - this article put an emphasis on the importance of the pill to the life of young woman.
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In 1963, Gloria wrote a piece for a magazine known as Show, in which she highlighted Playboy Bunnies. In this article, Gloria focused on how Bunnies were not only exploited, but sexually harassed by the men in the club. Not only did she write the article, but she went “under cover” as a Playboy Bunny at one of the chain nightclubs. The article highlights the realities of being a Playboy Bunny, and the sexual injustice woman experience.
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In 1969, Gloria wrote in article for the New York magazine about abortion and the right to choose. The right to choose was not legal until 1973, so at the time of this article it was very controversial. Not only did she write this article, but she also wrote My Life on the Road where she speaks about her personal experience of having an abortion.
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In 1971, Gloria was named the co-founder of Ms. Magazine. This was the rise of her fame as a advocate for feminism. For years to follow she was noted as one of the most famous feminists and made impacts traveling all around the world spreading her advocacy. She became the face of feminism.
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1970). [photograph of Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes stand at a podium in 1970, a year before they co-founded Ms. Magazine]. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/03/how-gloria-steinem-became-worlds-most-famous-feminist/#/02-gloria-steinem-difficult-women.jpg
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Glyder, K. (2019). Illustration of Gloria Steinem [photograph]. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/03/how-gloria-steinem-became-worlds-most-famous-feminist/#/07-gloria-steinem-difficult-women.jpg
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Random House Trade Paperbacks. (2016). [photograph of book cover “My Life on the Road” by Gloria Steinem]. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/172598/my-life-on-the-road-by-gloria-steinem/
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Getty Images. (1963). [Photograph of Gloria Steinem as undercover playboy bunny]. https://www.biography.com/news/gloria-steinem-undercover-playboy-bunny
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Esquire. (2020). [photograph of Esquire logo]. https://www.esquire.com/
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Smith College. (2020). [photograph of the exterior of Smith College]. https://www.smith.edu/about-smith
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Steinem, Gloria. “The Moral Disarmament of Betty Coed: Esquire: SEPTEMBER, 1962.” Esquire, 1 Sept. 1962, classic.esquire.com/article/1962/9/1/betty-coed.
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Bumiller, Elisabeth. “Gloria Steinem, the Everyday Rebel.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 Oct. 1983, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/10/12/gloria-steinem-the-everyday-rebel/164d44d2-3f21-49a9-9d62-c12408446409/.
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O'connor, John J. “'BUNNY'S TALE' FROM GLORIA STEINEM.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Feb. 1985, www.nytimes.com/1985/02/25/arts/bunny-s-tale-from-gloria-steinem.html.
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Glyder, Illustration by Kimberly, et al. “How Gloria Steinem Became the 'World's Most Famous Feminist'.” How Gloria Steinem Became the "World's Most Famous Feminist", 25 Mar. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/03/how-gloria-steinem-became-worlds-most-famous-feminist/#close.