The US recalls Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem’s influence on feminism
In the United States, the deaths of singer Dolly Parton on August 25 and activist Gloria Steinem on September 2 prompted a wave of public recollections of their impact on women’s rights and feminism. As TimesLIVE reports, the two women embodied different approaches to the idea that women should determine their own lives and make personal and public choices.
Different approaches to feminism
Steinem was openly engaged in political activism: she worked undercover as a Playboy Bunny for an exposé, founded Ms. magazine and called on women to support one another. In 1987, Steinem wrote that Parton fit her definition of feminism if it meant finding one’s own strength and helping other women find theirs.
Parton did not publicly call herself a feminist and avoided political statements. In the 2019 podcast Dolly Parton’s America, she explained that she did not engage in politics because she had supporters on both sides of the political spectrum. The singer also said she did not want to associate the word “feminism” with what she considered political extremes.
At the same time, Parton addressed in her work the hardships faced by women. In the song Down from Dover, she wrote about teenage pregnancy, abortion and adoption. The issue of equal pay was featured in the song and film 9 to 5, while one of her well-known compositions is Just Because I’m a Woman.
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Public reaction
After Parton’s death, condolences were expressed by a range of people, from Donald Trump to her supporters in the LGBTQ+ community. Trump ordered flags lowered as a sign of respect for the singer.
Leading figures on the left, including those of Steinem’s generation, responded actively to Steinem’s death. Hillary Clinton, who also paid tribute to Parton, said that Steinem’s work helped make women’s lived experience more real and important for society as a whole.
During her lifetime, Steinem said that she used her “torch” to light others: the more people have them, the more light there is. On social media, users called Steinem and Parton different women who influenced ideas about what a woman can be.
