Gloria Steinem Quotes

I have never been good at doing impressions of women. Which is understandable. There's a gender issue.

Character is made up of a variety of different things. One of those elements is gender.

Clearly, we are not programmed at birth to behave a certain way based on our gender. Instead, we are trained throughout our lives to conform to our gender norms.

I think our whole family just never limited ourselves to what anybody expected of us based on our gender. I never grew up that way.

The gender question has always obsessed me.

The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be, rather than recognising how we are.

If we keep on talking about masculine and feminine and following those stereotypes, then we will make women suppress and despise their so called masculine qualities and men suppress and despise their so called feminine ones, and that's where all the trouble starts.

I think we're struggling with trying to redefine various positions at this point in history. To allow freedom for women, freedom for men, freedom from those sharply defined gender roles.

Some people look gender non-conforming because they want to look that way - they don't want to conform to society's expectations.

I look a little bit like Barbie and talk a little bit like Ken. It's easier for me to sit in the middle of the boys' club than to be surrounded by people concerned about getting their hair and nails done.

There is more difference within the sexes than between them.

We determine whether a book is for boys or girls long before the reader gets a chance to decide: we package them with soldiers and ballet slippers on their covers, war machines and glittering gowns.

I do believe that it's something that we don't talk about, but when there are clearly defined gender roles, it is much simpler. Because you don't have to think, which people apparently don't like to do.

What I do know is that traditional gender roles are very real and flipping the norm is difficult for even the strongest, funniest, smartest men.

As a female, you are often being asked by directors to be warmer, softer, flirt more, smile more etc... None of those things are bad, and obviously we are capable of a variety of human behavior, but it gets really old having to play into somebody's stereotype or ideal.

We have been very conditioned by the cultures that we come from and are usually very identified with the particular gender that we happen to be a member of.

Our discomfort with female leadership runs deep. We call little girls bossy. We never really call little boys bossy, because a boy is expected to lead, so it doesn't surprise or offend.

I've given up trying to convince the world about the authenticity of my femininity.

If women talk in ways expected of them or project a feminine demeanor, it's seen as weak. But if they talk in ways associated with men or bosses, then they're seen as too aggressive. Whatever they do violates one or the other expectation: either you're not talking as you should as a woman or as boss.

You should never be put into a mold based on your gender.

Men and women are different: we have different tendencies, skills, and behaviors. This should be accepted and fostered, not demonized. Because the end result is simply more effeminate men and more masculine women. Who wants that?

I think our society has sort of built this gender binary, and the way we've said it exists does not really exist in nature.

If you don't know somebody, whether you're inquiring into their sex or their gender, it's invasive.

When I was 12, I was told I couldn't play with the boys anymore, and I was devastated.

Gender is a shackle.