Gloria Steinem, feminism icon and divisive figure, dies at 90

Gloria Steinem: the feminist who still divides after her death

Why has the death of a 90-year-old woman peine the culture war? Gloria Steinem, the writer and journalist who became the public face of American feminism, has died, leaving behind a legacy not everyone is willing to applaud. Her surname, Steinem, of Jewish origin, has become the center of a controversy mixing biography, politics and an old accusation of collaboration with the CIA.

An award-winning life and a celebrated death

Steinem was no stranger to Spain. In 2021 she received the Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities, a prize that placed her at the center of cultural news. The reaction to her death was swift: former minister Irene Montero described her as a role model, a historic, anti-racist, anti-colonialist and revolutionary feminist. Others, however, celebrated her passing with an enthusiasm that borders on the macabre. Steinem, in short, never leaves anyone indifferent.

The CIA shadow and the Jewish origin

One focus of the controversy is her background. Her father was Jewish, the son of immigrants from Württemberg, and her paternal grandmother, Pauline Perlmutter Steinem, was chair of the education committee of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. That ancestry has been used by some sectors to discredit her. But there is more: the accusation that Steinem was a CIA agent has circulated for decades, and the theory has resurfaced with her death. There is no conclusive proof, but the narrative fits a current that sees feminism as a tool of the culture war.

The surname as clickbait

The original headline announcing her death —"Feminism legend dies, you won't believe her surname"— was criticized even by those who do not share her ideology. Journalism today, it has been noted, turns a surname into a hook more important than an entire career. The controversy spread to Sephardic surnames: some pointed out that surnames as Spanish as Pérez, Fernández or López have Jewish roots. A historical irony not everyone is willing to accept.

The Christian Bale curiosity

Among the facts circulating after her death, one stands out: her adopted son would be Christian Bale, the actor who played Batman. If true, the actor has become the heir to one of the most controversial figures of feminism. The anecdote, true or not, shows how Steinem's life keeps making headlines even after her death.

Meanwhile, the feminist legend rests in peace. Her surname, however, is still stirring up trouble.