The ''Star Observer'' is a free

monthly magazine ''The Monthly Magazine'' (1796–1843) of London began publication in February 1796 as ''The Monthly Magazine and British Register''. From 1826 through 1835 it used the title ''The Monthly Magazine, or British Register of Literature, Sciences, a ...

and

online newspaper An online newspaper (or electronic news or electronic news publication) is the electronic publishing, online version of a newspaper, either as a stand-alone publication or as the online version of a printed periodical literature, periodical. Goin ...

that caters to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and

intersex Intersex people are those born with any of several sex characteristics, including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binar ...

communities in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Since 20 June 2019 the ''Star Observer'' has been owned by media company Out Publications.

History and readership

The newspaper was initially published by Michael Glynn as a tabloid in 1979 under the name ''The Sydney Star'' and is the oldest and largest publication of its kind in Australia. In 1982 the paper changed its name, becoming ''The Star'' (1982–1985), later undergoing several name changes, including ''Sydney's Star Observer'' (1986–1987), ''Sydney Star Observer'' (1987–2014; 2019 onwards) and ''Star Observer'' (2014-2019). The typical profile of the audience is aged between 23 years and 50 years, with a higher than average income level. With a 2015 audited circulation in excess of 15,000 per month, the publishers at that time claimed a readership exceeding 41,000 readers in print and 100,000+ online. In late 2013, Elias Jahshan was appointed editor; shortly afterwards, the publication ceased being a weekly newspaper and became a monthly magazine. On 20 June 2019 it was reported that the ''Star Observer'' was saved from

voluntary administration As a legal concept, administration is a procedure under the insolvency laws of a number of common law jurisdictions, similar to bankruptcy in the United States. It functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent entities and allows them to carry on ...

by media company Out Publications. As of April 2024, the Managing Editor is Chloe Sargeant, who manages both the print and digital output of the outlet nationally. Previous editors have included Corey Sinclair, Andrew M. Potts, Peter Hackney, Shibu Thomas, and Douglas Magaletti. In mid-2019, Out Publications began a sister publication in Melbourne, the Melbourne Star Observer. Its contents are identical to the Sydney title except that local advertisements are inserted. A homonymous masthead, founded in 1985 by Danny Vadasz of Gay Publications Co-operative Ltd., was in circulation until 2000.

Format and content

In hardcopy tabloid format, ''The Star'' (as it is commonly known) is published on the third Thursday of each month and is distributed to numerous locations in Sydney and Melbourne. Copies can be found in cafés, libraries, cinemas, theatres, book shops, medical practices and community centres as well as gay and lesbian community outlets such as

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

s, gay and lesbian friendly retail shops,

gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

s and sex on premises venues. Both the tabloid publication and online version contain local, national, and international coverage related to gay and lesbian news, opinion and lifestyle. Non-specifically gay and lesbian items, such as arts and culture, real estate and technology are also covered. A strong focus of the publication is on community, such as sport, gay and lesbian business events, and opinion. Each year special publications are produced to celebrate Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras,

Midsumma Festival Midsumma Festival is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ arts and cultures held annually for 22 days over January and February in Melbourne, Australia. History and background The festival began as a one-week celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride in 1989. Les ...

and Mardi Gras Film Festival.

Notable coverage

The ''Star Observer'' extensively covered the campaign to decriminalise homosexuality in New South Wales, which was enacted on May 22, 1984 by the

Parliament of New South Wales The Parliament of New South Wales, formally the Legislature of New South Wales, (definition of "The Legislature") is the bicameral legislative body of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). It consists of the Monarch, the New South Wa ...

. During the

AIDS Epidemic The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2023, HIV/AIDS ...

, the ''Star Observer'' ran in-depth articles concerning public prejudice, medical treatments and insurance claim problems. The ''Star Observer'' also extensively covered

Gay Gang Murders The gay gang murders are a series of suspected anti-LGBT hate crimes perpetrated by large gangs of youths in Sydney, between 1970 and 2010, with most occurring in 1989 and 1990. The majority of these occurred at local gay beats, and were known ...

by youths that occurred in Sydney over several decades, including the murder of Scott Johnson, and the murder of Richard Johnson by the 'Alexandria Eight'. Journalist Martyn Goddard, who had replaced Tim Carrigan as ''Star Observer'' editor in 1989, covered the story both in the ''Star'', and the ''

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...

''.

Community support

The shareholders of the publishing company have never drawn dividends from any profits generated by the ''Star Observer''. Instead, the ''Star Observer'' has made donations to support the community through entities such as the AIDS Trust, Victorian AIDS Council, the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation an
Twenty10
as well as others.

References

External links