Gloria Steinem's Marriage to David Bale Re-evaluated in Context of Evolving U.S. Marriage Laws
Feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who spent much of her life questioning traditional marriage, married David Bale, father of actor Christian Bale, in 2000 at the age of 66. This decision prompted questions given her long-standing public views on marriage as a restrictive institution for women. Steinem clarified that her stance on marriage evolved because the institution itself had changed, specifically citing decades of alterations in U.S. marriage laws that granted women more rights within the marital framework. She noted that earlier in her life, marriage would have meant losing her name, legal residence, credit rating, and many civil rights, which was no longer the case by 2000. The ceremony itself reflected this modern perspective, using the term 'partners' instead of 'husband' and 'wife.' Their marriage, which lasted three years until David Bale's death in 2003, also had practical implications, as it allowed David Bale, a British businessman and environmentalist, to obtain a green card after overstaying h... 
