EOTO #3: Gloria Steinem

 Gloria Steinem is known to have been a huge advocate for Women's rights during the Women's liberation movement throughout the 60s and 70s. However, her career started off with her being interested in journalism and working as a writer in New York City in the 1960s.

Gloria Steinem was born in Ohio on March 25, 1934. She grew up in a low-income household and her parents ended up divorcing when she was around five years old. 

Gloria attended Smith College and majored in Journalism. After she graduated she ended up getting a job as a writer in New York City. 

It is noted that Gloria despised her writing job. She loved writing but felt as though she was given assignments on traditionally feminine topics such as cooking and fashion. As well as getting sexually harassed in the office. 

A company that was booming in the 1960s was Playboy. Playboy is a magazine company founded by Hugh Hefner that showcased nude women throughout its glossy pages. As well as had well-written articles along the pages. 

Hugh Hefner was advertising his new Playboy nightclubs and put in newspaper advertisements wanting women to work as waitresses at his clubs.

Gloria's boss saw one of these advertisements and strongly encouraged her to go undercover as a Playboy Bunny to expose Hugh Hefner and write an article about it. Gloria was hesitant about the idea but did decide to go through with it. 

Once Gloria was officially hired to work at one of the clubs she had to go through bunny training. Bunny training consisted of various obstacles that all girls had to go through. This was everything from how to do your makeup, how to serve drinks, and even how to keep your weight down so you could fit in the tight bunny costumes. 

Gloria found all of these tasks ridiculous and demeaning towards women. After working as a bunny for a month she decided to quit and began writing her article. 

Gloria published her article I Was a Playboy Bunny in 1963 and shortly after became a household name. Her article discussed her time working at the Playboy Club and how poorly she and the other women were treated. Which slightly tarnished Hugh Hefner's name. 

After Gloria's article was published she began to attend feminist protests because she still felt sour about how the women working in the clubs were being treated and wanted to do something about it. As she continued to attend more protests and rallies she began speaking at some of them.

Most protests she attended had to do with abortion and working women especially as more women began to enter the workforce. Going to these protests and hearing other women's stories inspired Gloria to publish her own magazine and title it Ms. Magazine.

Ms. Magazine is a quarterly released magazine that focuses on women's issues. Before its release men predicted that the magazine would fail and no one would buy it. However, the magazine's first issue was completely sold out and was a huge success.