This Week's Feature: Ms. Magazine is Still a Staple of the Feminist Community

Back issues available at Ms. Magazine.
Photo provided by Annie Shields.

I recently watched the new documentary, "Gloria: In Her Own Words," which is a film about Gloria Steinem and her life from childhood to now.  I hate to admit it, but I really didn't know that much about Steinem other than the fact that she was a leader during the feminist movement of the late 60's and early 70's.  I thought it was funny that she said one of the lowest points in her career was when she had to write an article on "textured tights."  A journalist by education and profession, Steinem had a hard time finding publishers that would take her seriously in the 60's era and allow her to write about the things that she loved and was interested in: Politics, international issues, humanitarian efforts and an array of topics...but not "textured tights."

For me, feminism is really about equal rights across the board.  I have had friends scoff at the "feminist" label, but when I explain to them that feminism is really just supporting each other and allowing we as females to have the right to choose our own paths and not be judged for it, they go, "Oh, well, yeah I guess I am a feminist."  The fact that Steinem didn't want to write about textured tights makes me laugh, even though I am right now on the hunt for a pair of textured tights and wouldn't mind covering that topic, because this was about "her" and her interests.  I am sure she is not opposed to editors covering fashion as a profession, but it's all about the right to be able to "choose" (the operative word there) what they want to write about.

Back issues available at Ms. Magazine.
Photo provided by Annie Shields.

In 1971, Ms. Magazine was launched and Steinem took an active role in the production and launch of the magazine geared towards females and what they were NOT hearing at the time: The housewife's moment of truth, "de-sexing" the English language and abortion rights.  These were all subjects that were not being covered by mainstream media, because a woman was expected to know her place and cook, clean and breed only without question or any intellectual ambiguity.  People laughed it off and said the publication would never make it....But, alas, they did!  And they are still in production to this day reaching the masses of women in our society and proving that as times change, so do women and what we want and frankly what we expect.

I am pleased that Ms. Magazine has collaborated with The Compassion Fashion Project to deliver some Ms. t-shirts that we will then distribute to our local women's shelters.  Thank you Ms. Magazine and thank you for making this "textured tights" gal smile.

Ms. t-shirts available at the Ms. Magazine online store!
Permission to use photo by Annie Shields of Ms. Magazine.