Updated: September 3, 2026
Gloria Steinem, the pioneering feminist writer, journalist, and activist who helped shape modern conversations about equality, lived much of her life outside traditional expectations of marriage. For decades she remained single by choice, focusing on her work and independence. That changed late in life when she married David Bale in 2000. Their brief but meaningful partnership remains a notable chapter in her personal story. As of September 2026, following Steinem’s peaceful passing at her New York home at age 92, interest in her life—including her only marriage—continues.
Table of Contents
Who Was David Bale?
David Charles Howard Bale was a British entrepreneur, environmentalist, and animal-rights activist. Born in South Africa in 1941, he grew up across England, Egypt, and the Channel Islands. He worked in business, including ventures related to jeans and skateboards, and devoted significant energy to humanitarian and conservation causes. He was the father of four children, among them actor Christian Bale.
Bale had been married twice before meeting Steinem. He was known for opposing apartheid in his native South Africa and for hands-on involvement with organizations such as the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Friends and family described him as warm, principled, and deeply committed to the causes he supported.
Their Meeting and Marriage
Steinem and Bale met in 1999 at a fundraising event for Voters for Choice, an organization Steinem helped lead. Shared values around human rights, animal welfare, and progressive politics quickly drew them together. On September 3, 2000, they married in a private ceremony at the Oklahoma home of Steinem’s friend Wilma Mankiller, the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. The event blended civil and Cherokee elements and deliberately used the word “partners” instead of traditional husband-and-wife language.
At 66, Steinem entered her first marriage. She explained her decision by noting that marriage laws had changed over the decades. “I didn’t change. Marriage changed,” she said, emphasizing that feminism is about the freedom to choose what fits each stage of life. Bale, then 59, shared her view that an equal partnership was possible.
Key points about their union include:
- Married September 3, 2000, in a private Oklahoma ceremony
- Met through shared activism and progressive causes
- Steinem’s first and only marriage
- Focused on equality and mutual respect rather than traditional roles
- Lived between New York and California during their time together
A Short but Meaningful Partnership
Their marriage lasted just over three years. David Bale died of brain lymphoma on December 30, 2003, at age 62. Steinem later described him as having “the greatest heart of anyone I’ve known.” The loss was profound, yet she continued her activism and writing with the same energy that defined her public life.
Speculation at the time suggested immigration concerns may have influenced the timing of the wedding, since Bale had overstayed a visa. Both partners publicly rejected that explanation, insisting the decision rested on genuine connection and changed legal realities around marriage.
Quick Facts Table
Detail Information Husband’s Name David Charles Howard Bale Marriage Date September 3, 2000 Ceremony Location Oklahoma (home of Wilma Mankiller) Husband’s Occupation Entrepreneur, environmentalist, animal-rights activist Husband’s Death December 30, 2003 (brain lymphoma) Steinem’s Age at Marriage 66 Children from Marriage None (Bale had four children from prior marriages)
Conclusion
Gloria Steinem’s marriage to David Bale stands as a late-life affirmation of personal choice rather than a contradiction of her lifelong principles. After decades of independence, she entered an equal partnership with a man who shared her values and activism. Though cut short by Bale’s death in 2003, the relationship remains part of the full picture of a woman who continually redefined what was possible. As the world reflects on Steinem’s extraordinary legacy following her death in September 2026, her brief marriage offers a quiet reminder that feminism includes the freedom to evolve, to love, and to choose differently at every age.