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Quote by Gloria Steinem

“I always thought that "humanist" was a good word long before I understood that anyone thought it was a bad word.”

Quote by Gloria Steinem

Author

Gloria Steinem is an American journalist and social activist, renowned for her leadership in the women's rights movement. Born on March 25, 1934, she was one of the founding editors of Ms. magazine and played a pivotal role in the women's liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Steinem's work has covered a wide range of issues from gender equality to environmental justice. more

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“I definitely think men can be leaders. I see an analogy in the case of what helped me think about racism, which was to find parallels with sexism. In other words, I don't think I was such a great ally until I got mad on my own behalf.”

Thinking Men My Own Leader Cases Racism Mad Sexism Allies Behalf Parallels Analogies

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“When men realize that feminism is a universal good that affects them in very intimate ways then I think they really become allies and leaders.”

Thinking Men Way Realizing Leader Feminism Universal Intimate Allies

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“I'm more often confronted by women who come from religious traditions and don't feel that they have a place in the feminist movement. I've felt pressure when reporters asked me, "Do you believe in God?" I do say, "No. I believe in people."”

People Feels Believe I Believe Felt Religious Movement Tradition Pressure Feminist I Believe In Believe In God Reporters Religious Traditions Feminist Movement

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“People are quite clear in viewing nuns as the servants and the teachers and the supporters of the poor. You contrast that with the fact that the Vatican did virtually nothing about long-known pedophiles, and it's just too much.”

People Long Facts Poor Known Clear Too Much Teacher Servant Contrast Supporter Nun

Author:Gloria Steinem

“I've only ever met one woman who actually was a prostitute of her own free will. She didn't have a pimp. She could pick and choose her customers. That's so rare.”

Mets Picks Customers Free Will One Woman Pimp

Author:Gloria Steinem

“I guess 35 years ago, I thought we had more of a democracy than we actually do. Majority support doesn't help unless the majority is active and votes - but the opposition minority votes a much greater proportion, so we often lose by a narrow margin.”

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Author:Gloria Steinem

“I think we all have the power to name ourselves. I try to call people what it is they wish to be called. But we can take the sting out of epithets and bad words by using them.”

People Thinking Trying Names Wish Bad Word Epithet

Author:Gloria Steinem

“Whatever each individual woman is facing; only she knows her biggest challenge. However, if we add up the problems that affect the biggest numbers of women, then issues having to do with physical safety and reproduction are still the biggest. Female bodies are still the battleground, whether that means restricting freedom, birth control and safe abortion in order to turn them into factories, or abandoning female infants because females are less valuable for everything other than reproduction.”

“There were never that many women stand-up comics in the past because the power to make people laugh is also a power that gets people upset.”

People Past Laughing Upset Making People Laugh

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“I have always employed humor, and I think it's absolutely crucial that we do because, among other things, humor is the only free emotion.”

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Author:Gloria Steinem