There was a buzz in the Alfond Sports Center at Rollins College as hundreds of students, faculty and locals waited for cultural icon Gloria Steinem to appear. When she walked on stage, the 77-year-old cultural icon looked much the same as when she gained fame as the feminist co-founder of Ms. Magazine, or even when she famously went undercover as a Playboy bunny for a magazine expose.
Steinem was at Rollins participating in events celebrating the 45th anniversary of the National Organization for Women. Sipping herbal tea to ward off the flu, she reassured those in the adoring crowd at Alfond that attaining full civil rights takes time, and that advantage is not relinquished easily.
“They're scared to death we'll turn their triangle”where the masses are at the bottom and the privileged few are at the top”into a circle,” she said, speaking of a lingering power structure that is predominantly wealthy, white, male and heterosexual.
Steinem drew laughs with a related observation about the relationship between religion and power.
“When images of god reflect the ruling class, you know you're in deep shit,” she said with a chuckle.
Steinem took heart in the Occupy Wall Street-related protests currently taking place throughout the country, and recalled a time of similar activism.
“Protests during the 60s were about the draft and Vietnam,” she noted. “This has much wider implications.”
Steinem also shared that she married South African activist David Bale, father of actor Christian Bale, late in life because the once-oppressive institution had changed.
“If I had married when I was supposed to get married I would have lost my name, my legal residence, my credit rating and many of my civil rights,” she said.
But she also noted that because they were married, her husband no longer faced deportation and had access to health care benefits.
“I gained a real understanding of the disadvantages faced by gays and lesbians, and why it's so important for everyone to have access to marriage,” she said.
Steinem answered questions, and when the last came from a man one female audience member took note.
“As usual, a man gets the last word,” she quipped loudly.
“Don't worry,” said Steinem. “The last word will be mine.”
