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GLORIA STEINEM: Friends and sisters, I couldn't not come here because I've been hearing for such a long time about how brave and courageous and together the women of this state are. I really came to say thank you. I Don't. Feel I have great messages to impart to you. On the contrary, I'd rather ask you questions about how you did it, and would you like to move to New York?

[LAUGHTER]

CONNIE GOLDMAN: Ms. Steinem's formal talk on women's changing role and women's role in changing it was followed by a social hour that gave us all a chance to meet and talk with feminist Gloria Steinem.

AUDIENCE: Can I call on you again to help us with the [INAUDIBLE]?

GLORIA STEINEM: How does it look?

AUDIENCE: I think it looks good.

GLORIA STEINEM: Most of the response we get-- I mean, I didn't sort of know how to react to what you were saying because we really don't get that much critical response, except in the sense of helpful criticism. And we criticize ourselves because we really-- there are a lot of things we haven't been able to do yet. We want to do much more reporting around the country about what's going on in cities and small towns with specific projects, especially those that serve as a pattern so that other women can follow them. We haven't been able to do too much of that yet.

AUDIENCE: Has that been the biggest frustration in this so far?

GLORIA STEINEM: Oh, no. The biggest frustration, really, is that we get so many letters and requests for help of various kinds. We get far more mail than a magazine like McCall's or Ladies' Home Journal, which has seven million people, and we only have half a million, because there's such a need. So the frustration is reading the mail and not being able to-- In a way we ought to-- sometimes, we think we ought to just answer our mail and not do the magazine because it gets to be a choice. That's the biggest frustration that we can't do enough.

AUDIENCE: We're rather concerned about the problems in the National Women's Political Caucus. And I'd like to know how you feel about the future of the National Women's Political Caucus.

GLORIA STEINEM: I think we've done a remarkable amount, more than we thought we would do. So it isn't as if we haven't accomplished a lot, but the structure is wrong. And unfortunately, we started out with a temporary structure, which was just meant to last for three months. And now, it's lasted for a year and a half. And that's really what's wrong.

So we have to have a National Assembly and dissolve the Policy Council, which is mostly composed of women who are not from the states and who don't have time to serve. It just doesn't make sense. But everybody agrees on that, so I don't think it's a problem.

AUDIENCE: So did you foresee in the next year [INAUDIBLE]?

GLORIA STEINEM: It's January or February. There'll be a national assembly. And then, we have to restructure, and I think recommit ourselves to our goals because there have been a lot of women coming in who are new who weren't around when those kinds of discussions took place. But I think-- so organizing around the issues, specific issues, whatever structure we happen to be in will be very important, especially if Mr. Nixon is returned.

AUDIENCE: Do you--

[LAUGHTER]

AUDIENCE: Yeah.

AUDIENCE: Right.

GLORIA STEINEM: Women don't feel they're working on grown-up issues if they're working on women's issues. They think they should be working on the men's issues because that's the definition of serious.

AUDIENCE: Do you feel that?

GLORIA STEINEM: Well, OK. But autographs-- and autographs, you're as important as me, so who needs an autograph?

AUDIENCE: Well,--

GLORIA STEINEM: Seriously.

AUDIENCE: OK.

AUDIENCE: OK.

[INAUDIBLE].

GLORIA STEINEM: It's a different stage, I think, because there have been slightly more openings. That is, you can make some kind of individual solution in New York. You can get a part-time job. Maybe, you can find a childcare center. So you get sort of co-opted, as they say. I mean, you get into some group, and it keeps you from uniting with other women, really.

And then also, the women who are very politically active are already into men's groups, and they don't want to give it up because that's grown up and adult. And that's where it is. And even very so-called radical women, if you say, what's the greatest evil in the world? They will say, imperialism. Well, I mean, I think it's patriarchy and racism myself. We had that long before we had imperialism. Socialist countries still have problems in that way. But that's the certified, male, radical thing to say.

AUDIENCE: Yes.

GLORIA STEINEM: And that's a problem.

AUDIENCE: Do you consider going into politics yourself?

GLORIA STEINEM: No. I don't want it. I should be home with my typewriter. But I'm so grateful to women who stand up and run because I could never do it. But I love to come and speak. We're working for Bella. Gosh. Poor Bella is having a terrible time.

And there are lots of women running for Congress who are very-- Well, Jean McKee in Michigan because she's running against Gerald Ford. She might really benefit.

AUDIENCE: Well, I think just your philosophy is--

CONNIE GOLDMAN: Feminist Gloria Steinem speaking at a fundraiser for DFL Women here in Minneapolis. This is Connie Goldman.

AUDIENCE: We need somebody to identify with, and I think that's fantastic--

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

GLORIA STEINEM: Just-- OK. Providing that if you identify with me, you will also know, we have all the same problems.

AUDIENCE: Yeah. Right.

GLORIA STEINEM: And I go home and cry and lock the door. And I--