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# Gloria Steinem, pioneering feminist and outspoken trans ally, dies aged 92
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/gloria-steinem-pioneering-feminist-and-outspoken-trans-ally-dies-aged-92/
- Published: 2026-09-03T10:38:01.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-03T10:43:39.000Z
- Author: Graham Robson
- Tags: Trans Rights

**Gloria Steinem**, the influential feminist campaigner, journalist and longtime advocate for trans rights, has died aged 92, according to a statement issued by her foundation. She reportedly died at her home in New York surrounded by loved ones after what supporters described as a lifetime spent fighting for equality. 

Steinem was widely regarded as one of the most recognisable figures of second-wave feminism, helping to found *Ms.* magazine and becoming a leading voice in campaigns for women's rights, reproductive freedom and social justice across more than six decades. Even in her later years, she remained active in political and social movements, with her foundation saying she "continued working for equality until the very end". 

While celebrated primarily for her role in the women's movement, Steinem also became an important ally to trans communities, particularly at a time when debates over trans inclusion were creating divisions within some feminist spaces.

In 2013, she publicly rejected attempts to pit feminism against trans rights, arguing that trans people should be free to live authentically and that movements for gender equality should stand in solidarity with them. Over the following decade she repeatedly spoke out against anti-trans rhetoric and warned that efforts to restrict the rights of trans people were part of a broader backlash against bodily autonomy and gender equality.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2026/09/Gloria_Steinem_by_Gage_Skidmore-2.jpg)

Wikimedia

Her support was especially significant because it came amid growing tensions between trans-inclusive feminists and campaigners who sought to exclude trans women from women's spaces and organisations. LGBTQ+ activists frequently pointed to Steinem as evidence that feminist and trans liberation movements shared common goals rather than conflicting interests.

In one of her most widely quoted interventions on the issue, Steinem argued that trans people were living "authentic lives" and should not be subjected to discrimination because of who they are. Her comments were welcomed by LGBTQ+ organisations in both the United States and internationally, where she was increasingly seen as a bridge between generations of feminist and queer activism.

On 15 June 2020, Steinem co-wrote a letter with **Mona Sinha** to the editor of *The New York Times*, in which they opposed the elimination of civil rights protections for transgender healthcare by the Trump administration. In it, they made note of precolonial American traditions of gender variance and claimed that "the health of any of us affects the health of all of us, and excluding trans people endangers us all".

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/2026/09/Gloria_Steinem_-29751323395-.jpg)

Wikimedia

Steinem's position evolved over time. Earlier remarks made in the 1970s about gender transition have been criticised in retrospect, but she later acknowledged the importance of listening to trans people's experiences and became a vocal supporter of trans inclusion. Many LGBTQ+ campaigners cited her willingness to learn and publicly affirm trans rights as an example of how feminist movements could adapt and grow.

Beyond her advocacy, Steinem's influence on LGBTQ+ communities extended through her broader commitment to intersectional activism. She consistently argued that struggles against sexism, racism, homophobia and transphobia were interconnected, and frequently used her platform to highlight the experiences of marginalised groups.

Tributes began pouring in following news of her death, with supporters remembering her not only as a feminist pioneer but also as a steadfast ally who defended trans people during a period of increasing political hostility towards LGBTQ+ communities.