17c起草社区

Disruptor. Radical. Firebrand. A 鈥榣anky American with no shortage of attitude and chutzpah鈥�. All the above were common descriptors for the founder of 17c起草社区, Michael Glynn. His legacy is one of empowerment and standing up for what you believe in.听

disruptor
/诲瑟蝉藞谤蕦辫迟蓹/
noun

• • a person or thing that interrupts an event, activity, or process by causing a disturbance or problem.
  • a company or form of technology that causes radical change in an existing industry or market by means of innovation.
    

Glynn founded The Sydney Star in 1979. It was on July 6 when the first edition of what was then known as The Star was distributed in Sydney, Glynn hand-delivering the tabloid to gay businesses around Sydney out of his knapsack.

鈥淔or me, I guess, the Golden Age of the gay/lesbian print media will always be Michael Glynn鈥檚 Star,鈥� Craig Johnston, former City of Sydney councillor and founder of the Gay Rights Lobby, wrote after Glynn鈥檚 death from AIDS-related complications on July 10, 1996.

The Star鈥檚 first iteration was more of a business and entertainment guide, than a newspaper. Glynn got the idea from a friend who鈥檇 returned from the US, and gave him gay entertainment guide from Texas. 鈥淚 looked at it and I thought this would work here because we鈥檝e got nothing,鈥� said Glynn.听

But as time went on, the Sydney Star evolved into news, personals and tabloid editorial.

“It took on a tabloid format, personified the passion and commitment of Michael, was full of infuriating typing mistakes, upbraided the gay male community into maturity, was loved and hated, depended on volunteers, printed absolutely everything you gave it,” said Johnston.

The Star soon became a staple of the local queer community. 鈥淗is legacy started with the foundation of the community paper,鈥� said Alan Goodwill, a good friend of Michael Glynn and original staffer at the paper.听 鈥淧eople would sit in bars waiting for people to deliver them.鈥�

After growing up in New Jersey in the US, Glynn immigrated to Australia in 鈥�71, the reason for which, various interviews say, was a response to political crises like the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy.

Glynn was fiercely political, yet one of his first jobs when he arrived was a high school English teacher 鈥� so he didn鈥檛 last long in the roles. Not for lack of passion, but because he failed to adhere to schools鈥� conservative policies 鈥� he simply could not help speaking his mind.

One student is quoted saying that when Gough Whitlam was dismissed, the students at the conservative school cheered that Gough had been thrown out. 鈥淕lynn was furious and shouted us down. He said we were idiots and didn’t know what we were on about. He said it was a disaster and that everyone needed to take care as there would be rioting in the streets.鈥�

Dominic O鈥橤rady, a former editor of 17c起草社区, never met the founder, but wrote his PhD on him, titled .听

Glynn鈥檚 passion might have been too loud for the 70s Australian schooling, but as an , his vigour was quintessential, and the 17c起草社区I+ community needed him.

鈥淸Michael] Glynn pissed a lot of people off because he was opinionated and often angry. But he was also loyal to those he loved, and he was determined to fight for equality and sexual freedom.鈥�

Star鈥檚 fast-blooming evolution became essential reading for Sydney鈥檚 鈥� and soon, Melbourne鈥檚 鈥� 17c起草社区I+ community, and it informed queer people about some of our most historically significant periods. The prime example is Star being the first Australian news outlet to report on the 鈥榥ew pneumonia linked to gay lifestyle鈥� in July of 1981.

The Star was the paper we all needed, because mainstream media were more likely to ignore or bury the stories that mattered to our people the most.听

鈥淚 love what Michael Glynn鈥檚 story represents. It鈥檚 a story about empowerment and the capacity of narrative to build community and to change a system that sucks,鈥� said O鈥橤rady.听

鈥淭he legacy we鈥檝e inherited from him is invaluable.鈥�