The Last Word

The legendary activist on abortion and why the battle for equality isn’t over

You grew up as the daughter of a traveling salesman and spent the majority of your adult life on the road, engaged in activism. Has Covid-19 grounded you?

Writers are always quite used to sitting in our chair, typing, so it doesn’t feel that unusual. It’s probably more unusual for people who are accus

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tomed to going to the office every day. I haven’t missed being on the road yet. But seeing my friends, and walking the New York streets? I do miss that. I do at least three or four long Zooms a week.

One of Ms. magazine’s most famous issues featured the names of women who had abortions. How would your life be different if you hadn’t had access to an illegal abortion at age 22?

It’s very hard to imagine. Before I found a physician of conscience — who was willing to break the law — I was imagining doing violence on myself. Not lethal, but throwing myself down stairs, riding a horse and falling; you know, the crazy things you think of. I’m sure I could have hurt myself.

Gay Talese once referred to you as “this year’s pretty girl” in journalism. What do you wish you had said to him in that moment?

I should have gotten out of the car and slammed the door. Years and years later, I saw him at a dinner and told him this was going to be public; and he said, ‘Yes, I said that,’ and I respected him for not denying it.

In 1972, you were elected spokeswoman for the National Women’s Political Caucus, practically against your will — why didn’t you want the job?

Because I hate to speak in public. We choose to be writers because we don’t want to talk. It wasn’t my idea of fun.

How did you conquer your fear of public speaking?

I never did, completely.

I just learned that you don’t die. But I still have to deal with losing all my saliva. Does that happen to you? I think it’s a common form of nervousness. I have all forms of cough drops and things to keep handy to drink. There’s a kind of toothpaste that is supposed to help — I’m not sure if it does.

You’ve objected to the portrayal of the battle to pass an amendment guaranteeing women equal rights under the Constitution in the TV show Mrs. America as “a catfight” — what do you think the show got wrong?

The showrunners came to see me and Ellie Smeal [the former president of NOW], and we told them that the opposition to the ERA was not from other women — the huge majority of women supported the Equal Rights Amendment. Ellie Smeal could never determine that one single vote was ever changed by Phyllis Schlafly. Women don’t have the power to be our own worst adversaries. It’s economic interests that do.

If you were starting the fight over the ERA today—

We are starting over today.

Is there anything you would or could have done differently?

We thought, “How hard can it be?” We didn’t understand what the opposition would be, so we didn’t start soon enough or organize state by state enough.

Is the ERA still necessary today?

Yes, absolutely. To have to proceed every time, law by law, issue by issue [is impractical] — we need justice. We have the 14th Amendment for racial equality. We need to have equality by sex.

You used to quote Irina Dunn saying “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” Do you still believe that?

No, no. That was always a joke. No. People need people — regardless of gender. Everybody needs people.

What music moves you the most?

I was just dancing to Lou Rawls. The crossover from social dancing to disco dancing — that was great. Because in disco you don’t have to follow. Before, if you were heterosexual dancing, you were following your male lead, right? Suddenly you could go to a disco, and just get out there and dance. A total revolution.

You’ve said your funeral “will be a fundraiser.” What do want the cause to be?

The movement for equality — no more labels by sex and race. Whatever form that takes.

TESSA STUART