Feb. 5, 2003

Contact: Lauren Stewart, Student Union Activities, (785) 864-2429.

Renowned feminist Gloria Steinem to speak at Lied Center Feb. 10

LAWRENCE -- World-renowned feminist, journalist and human rights activist Gloria Steinem will speak at 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, at the Lied Center.

The Student Lecture Series, coordinated by Student Union Activities and Student Senate at the University of Kansas, offers the free event. Vouchers are available in the SUA office, Level 4 of the Kansas Union, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

A press conference will take place at 6:45 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Governor's Room in the Kansas Union. The press contact is Lauren Stewart, SUA vice president of university relations, (785) 864-2429. Following her 8 p.m. lecture, Steinem will take questions from the audience.

Famous for writing that "a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle," Steinem is considered one of the most significant and influential modern feminists. Born in Ohio, Steinem graduated from Smith College in 1956 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She then lived in India for almost two years as a Chester Bowles Asian fellow, writing for Indian publications and being influenced by Gandhian activism.

She first achieved national fame by working as a Playboy bunny at a New York club and writing an exposŽ for Esquire magazine. In 1968, Steinem began writing for New York magazine. Four years later she co-founded Ms. magazine and she remains active with that magazine as an editorial consultant and writer. In 1978, she studied the impact of feminism on the premises of political theory as a Woodrow Wilson scholar at the Smithsonian Institution.

As an organizer, she has helped found the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Women's Action Alliance, the Coalition of Labor Union Women and the National Women's Political Caucus, a non-partisan group devoted to advancing women of all races in elected and appointed offices. Recently Steinem has been outspoken against child abuse, the death penalty and issues in Afghanistan, and she is president of Voters for Choice, a non-partisan political action committee that supports pro-choice candidates.

For more information call (785) 864-SHOW or visit the SUA Web site at www.suaevents.com.