Lawrence Gibbons, the publisher of Star Observer and City Hub, reflects on Star Observer’s 45th anniversary, the masthead’s legacy as a LGBTQI+ disruptor, and the ongoing battles that face queer media in Australia. News makers don’t usually find themselves in the news, nor do they want to be. But in June, there I was, on the homepage of a popular queer news site.
Ben Grubb , editor and publisher of Gay Sydney News , reported: “ Rival Australian LGBTQI+ news outlets Star Observer and QNews are involved in a behind-the-scenes stand-off in which legal action has been threatened over QNews registering a trademark and business using the same name as its competitor’s publication.” A post shared by Gay Sydney News (@gaysydneynews) Grubb uses punchy Instagram posts to deliver old fashioned scoops about queer business and politics, and the changing face of Australia’s primary rainbow precinct. Since he launched Gay Sydney News a year and a half ago, his following has grown to tens of thousands, and has broken important stories for our community.
But unfortunately, along with thousands of other Australian outlets, Gay Sydney News and Star Observer ’s social media pages could soon be shut down by Meta . The world’s largest social media company, worth over $2 trillion, owns both Facebook and Instagram . They say they will pull all Australian news content off their platforms if our government requires them to make deals with Aussie publishers under Australia’s News Med.
