Penny Gardener was a mother of three children by the age of 18. She became a Playboy Bunny and worked at entertainment clubs in her early 20s. She earned a BA from Loretto Heights College in Communications in 1976 and earned a graduate degree in Women's Studies and doctorate in American Studies from Michigan State University. Gardner has been an instructor at MSU's department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures until retiring in 2016, activist, and feminist. She has been an integral member of the Lansing-area lesbian community, serving as President of Lesbian Connection, Elsie Publishing, the Lansing Association for Human Rights, Michigan Equality, and holds leadership positions in the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Women’s Political Caucus. In 1991, she participated in the Reproductive Freedom Riders as one of 11 bicyclists who rode from New York City to Seattle, Washington, which drew international attention to champion topics including women's health, reproductive rights, sex education, AIDS education, lesbian parenting, domestic and bias-related violence. Gardner also serves on the board for the Tri-County Office on Aging and served as President of the MSU Union of Nontenured-Track Faculty.