A gathering in Gloria Steinem’s living room, a space for intellectual exchange on critical social issues. (Illustrative AI-generated image).
- Gloria Steinem, at 92, continues to host influential salons in her home, fostering dialogue on pressing social and political issues.
- The salon featured a diverse group, including Indigenous leaders like Mohawk Bear Clan Mother Louise McDonald Herne and Oneida Nation’s Michelle Schenandoah, highlighting the importance of centering marginalized voices.
- Discussions covered practical policy areas like paid parental leave, drawing on international examples, and the systemic barriers women face in leadership roles.
- The concept of “rematriation” was explored, emphasizing the need to restore Indigenous women’s voices and traditional matrilineal structures in contemporary society.
- The conversation extended to the urgent need to protect democracy, with Steinem stressing the importance of sustained civic engagement beyond voting.
- Steinem’s salons tackle a broad range of topics, from technology and AI to sexual desire, reflecting her belief that the personal is always political.
The Salon: A Living Room of Ideas
The plush red armchair sits at the center of the room, almost like a throne. But the woman in it, Gloria Steinem, does not sit like a queen holding court. She leans forward, listening. Her silver hair catches the soft afternoon light filtering through the windows of her New York City apartment.
On her right sits Louise McDonald Herne, a Mohawk Bear Clan Mother. Her white linen dress is decorated with burgundy and purple ribbons that catch the light as she speaks. On Steinem’s left is Michelle Schenandoah, from the Oneida Nation Wolf Clan, the creator of a PBS show about rematriation.
Around them, about 20 people fill the living room. Some sit on couches. Others lean against doorframes. A diplomat from the Netherlands is here. So is a publisher, an impact investor, and Emmy nominee and comedian Baratunde Thurston. Members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy, sit among the guests.
This is not a formal conference. There is no stage. No microphone. Just a group of people sitting in a circle, talking about the things that matter most.
Steinem, now 92 years old, has been hosting these gatherings for decades. She calls them salons, a word that brings to mind the intellectual circles of Enlightenment-era Europe, where writers, philosophers, and artists would gather in private homes to debate ideas. But Steinem’s version is different. It is less about abstract philosophy and more about practical action. The people in her living room are not just thinkers. They are doers.
On this Monday afternoon, the conversation covers three big topics: parental leave, women in leadership, and saving democracy. But the discussion does not stay neatly in those boxes. It weaves in and out of personal stories, historical lessons, and urgent calls to action.
Diverse Voices in Gloria Steinem’s Living Room Salon
The guest list reads like a puzzle. What does a Dutch diplomat have in common with a Mohawk Clan Mother? What does a comedian bring to a conversation about democracy?
The answer, as Steinem sees it, is that change does not come from one group alone. It comes from the edges, from the voices that have been pushed aside.
Baratunde Thurston, known for his sharp political comedy and his work as a writer and activist, sat among the group. His presence reminded everyone that humor can be a tool for truth-telling. In a room full of serious conversation, a well-timed joke can break tension and open minds.
The diplomat from the Netherlands brought a global perspective. The Netherlands has some of the most progressive parental leave policies in the world. In that room, the diplomat could speak from experience about what works and what does not.
But the most powerful voices in the room may have been the Indigenous women. Louise McDonald Herne and Michelle Schenandoah are not just guests. They are leaders in a movement that is slowly gaining recognition in mainstream feminist circles.
Herne, as a Bear Clan Mother, holds a position of spiritual and political authority in the Mohawk Nation. In Haudenosaunee culture, women have long held significant power. They choose the chiefs. They control the land. They have a voice in every major decision. This is not a new idea. It is ancient.
Schenandoah’s work on rematriation is about bringing that ancient wisdom into the present. She believes that Indigenous women’s voices have been silenced for too long, not just by colonization but also by mainstream feminism, which has often focused on the concerns of white, middle-class women.
In Steinem’s living room, these women were not sidelined. They were seated at the center, next to Steinem herself.
Rematriation: Centering Indigenous Women’s Voices
Michelle Schenandoah’s PBS show is called “Rematriated Voices.” The word “rematriation” is not yet a household term, but Schenandoah and others are working to change that.
Rematriation means centering Indigenous women’s voices and philosophies in everyday life. It is a response to centuries of colonization, which disrupted the matrilineal structures that many Native nations had in place. Before European settlers arrived, women in many Indigenous communities held land, made decisions, and passed down knowledge through the female line.
Colonization tried to erase that. It imposed patriarchal systems. It forced Native children into boarding schools where they were punished for speaking their languages. It took land from women and gave it to men.
Rematriation is about reclaiming what was lost. It is not about reversing roles or creating a new hierarchy. It is about restoring balance.
In the context of Steinem’s salon, rematriation connects directly to the other topics on the table. How can women lead effectively if their voices are not centered? How can democracy survive if half the population is still fighting for basic rights?
For Steinem, who has spent her entire career fighting for women’s equality, the inclusion of Indigenous leaders is not a side note. It is central to her current activism.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Steinem’s feminism was shaped by the struggles of white women in the workplace and the bedroom. She wrote about abortion rights, equal pay, and the politics of housework. But over the decades, her vision has broadened. She now speaks often about the need for intersectionality, a term coined by legal scholar Kimberle Crenshaw, which recognizes that different forms of oppression overlap.
Indigenous women face a unique set of challenges. They are more likely to experience violence, poverty, and environmental racism. But they also carry knowledge that the rest of the world desperately needs, especially when it comes to living in balance with the earth.
In the salon, Schenandoah and Herne spoke about how rematriation is not just about the past. It is about the future. It is about creating a world where Indigenous women are not just heard but followed.
Parental Leave and Women in Leadership: Key Discussions
One of the most practical topics on the agenda was parental leave. The United States is the only wealthy country in the world that does not guarantee paid parental leave at the national level. This is a fact that Steinem has been pointing out for decades.
In the salon, the discussion went beyond the usual talking points. The guests talked about what good parental leave actually looks like. It is not just about giving mothers a few weeks off. It is about giving both parents time to bond with their children. It is about recognizing that caregiving is work, and that work has value.
The Dutch diplomat shared insights from the Netherlands, where parents get 16 weeks of paid leave, and fathers or partners get at least six weeks. The result? Better health outcomes for mothers and babies. Higher rates of women returning to work. More involved fathers.
But the conversation also acknowledged the barriers. Small businesses worry about the cost. Politicians argue about who should pay. Cultural norms about motherhood and fatherhood are slow to change.
Steinem listened, nodding. She has been hearing these arguments for 60 years. But she has not given up. She believes that change is possible, but it requires pressure from all sides. It requires voters who demand it. It requires employers who see the benefits. It requires men who are willing to step up.
The discussion on women in leadership was equally grounded. The guests talked about the research that shows companies with more women in leadership perform better. They talked about the “glass cliff,” where women are often brought in to lead organizations that are already in crisis. They talked about the need for mentorship and sponsorship, not just for white women but for women of color, Indigenous women, and women from other marginalized groups.
One guest pointed out that the problem is not that women lack ambition or skills. The problem is that the systems are stacked against them. Parental leave is one piece of that puzzle. Affordable childcare is another. Equal pay is another. And the list goes on.
Saving Democracy: Steinem’s Urgent Call to Action
As the afternoon wore on, the conversation turned to democracy. Steinem’s voice grew more urgent.
She has seen a lot in her 92 years. She was active during the civil rights movement. She helped lead the second wave of feminism. She has watched democracy expand and contract. And right now, she is worried.
She spoke about the erosion of democratic norms. About the rise of authoritarianism. About the way that fear is being used to divide people. She talked about the importance of voting, but also about the limits of voting. Democracy is not just about casting a ballot every few years. It is about showing up every day. It is about talking to your neighbors. It is about organizing.
Steinem’s call to action was not a speech. It was a conversation. She asked questions. She listened to answers. She pushed back when she heard defeatism.
One guest said they felt hopeless. Steinem replied that hopelessness is a luxury we cannot afford. She reminded the room that every major social change in history seemed impossible until it happened. The abolition of slavery. Women’s suffrage. The end of legal segregation. All of it seemed impossible. All of it happened because people refused to give up.
She also talked about the importance of local politics. National elections get all the attention, she said, but real change often happens at the city and state level. School boards. City councils. State legislatures. These are the places where ordinary people can have the most impact.
The guests nodded. Some took notes. The diplomat from the Netherlands shared examples from Europe. The comedian made a joke that broke the tension. The Clan Mothers offered prayers.
Decades of Gatherings: From AI to Sexual Desire
This was not the first salon Steinem has hosted, and it will not be the last. She has been doing this for decades, long before the word “salon” became trendy again.
In recent years, her living room has hosted discussions on artificial intelligence and sexual desire. Yes, sexual desire. At 92, Steinem is still talking about the things that make people uncomfortable.
The AI discussion was about more than just technology. It was about power. Who controls the algorithms? Whose voices are being amplified? Whose are being silenced? Steinem sees AI as a feminist issue. If the people building the technology are mostly men, then the technology will reflect their biases.
The discussion on sexual desire was equally revealing. Steinem has always been open about the politics of sex. Her famous essay “If Men Could Menstruate” is a satirical look at how society would treat periods if men had them. It is a classic because it makes a serious point through humor. In the salon, the conversation about desire was personal and political. It was about who gets to want what. About how desire is shaped by culture. About the ways that women’s pleasure has been ignored or shamed.
These are not the topics you would expect at a typical political salon. But Steinem has never been typical. She has always believed that the personal is political. That means talking about sex and technology and parenting and democracy all in the same afternoon.
The salon model itself is worth noting. In the 18th century, Enlightenment salons were hosted by women like Madame Geoffrin in Paris. They brought together philosophers, writers, and scientists to exchange ideas. Those salons helped shape the intellectual movements that led to revolutions.
Steinem’s salons are different in some ways. They are more diverse. More focused on action. But they share the same core belief: that change begins in conversation. That when people from different backgrounds sit in a room together and listen to each other, something shifts.
There is no recording of these conversations. No transcript. What happens in the salon stays in the salon, at least for the most part. But the ideas that are born there do not stay contained. They spread. They show up in policy proposals. In books. In movements.
Why This Matters Now: The 2026 Context
This gathering was part of Fast Company’s “191 World Changing Ideas for 2026” series. That is not a coincidence. The timing matters.
2026 is not just another year. It is a year that will mark 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. It is a year that will likely see heated political battles. It is a year that could shape the direction of the country for a generation.
Steinem knows this. She has been fighting for change long enough to understand that progress is not a straight line. It moves forward and backward. It requires constant vigilance.
The issues discussed in her living room are not new. Parental leave has been a feminist demand for decades. Women in leadership is a topic that has been studied to death. Democracy has been under threat before. But the urgency feels different now.
The 2026 context gives the conversation a deadline. It is not just about abstract ideals. It is about concrete actions that need to happen in the next few years. Steinem and her guests are not just talking. They are planning.
What will come out of this salon? It is too early to say. But if history is any guide, the conversations that happen in Steinem’s living room have a way of echoing beyond the walls. The people in that room will go back to their work. The diplomat will return to the Netherlands. The comedian will write new material. The Clan Mothers will continue their work on rematriation. And Steinem will keep hosting salons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a salon hosted by Gloria Steinem?
Gloria Steinem hosts intimate gatherings in her home, called salons, where a diverse group of people discuss important social and political issues. These are not formal conferences but rather intimate conversations aimed at fostering action and understanding.
Who attended Gloria Steinem's recent living room salon?
The salon included Indigenous leaders like Mohawk Bear Clan Mother Louise McDonald Herne and Oneida Nation's Michelle Schenandoah, a diplomat from the Netherlands, comedian Baratunde Thurston, publishers, and impact investors.
What key topics were discussed at the salon?
The main topics included the need for comprehensive paid parental leave, challenges and opportunities for women in leadership, and strategies for preserving democracy. The concept of rematriation and centering Indigenous women's voices was also a significant focus.
What is rematriation?
Rematriation refers to the process of centering Indigenous women's voices and philosophies, reclaiming the matrilineal structures disrupted by colonization. It aims to restore balance by recognizing the historical power and decision-making roles of women in many Native nations.
What was the discussion on parental leave like?
The conversation went beyond basic policies, discussing what effective parental leave looks like for both parents and valuing caregiving as work. Insights from countries like the Netherlands, which offers generous paid leave, were shared.
What is Gloria Steinem's perspective on saving democracy?
Steinem emphasized that democracy requires daily engagement, not just voting. She highlighted the importance of local organizing and community involvement, urging attendees not to succumb to hopelessness and to remember that significant social change often seemed impossible before it happened.
Why is the 2026 context important for these discussions?
2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and is anticipated to be a period of significant political activity. This context adds urgency to the discussions, framing them as crucial for shaping the nation's future direction.
