Meet the LGBTQIA+ Disruptors Keeping Michael Glynn's Legacy Alive

Controversial and opinionated, Michael Glynn has made a lasting impact on Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ scene through his pioneering, innovative and boundary-pushing approach.

Glynn was a real disruptor in the community, founding the Sydney Star (now known as the Star Observer) and the Gay Business Association (now known as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association – both the first of their kind in Australia). He also founded the AIDS Action Committee, helped create the Mr Leather competition and recruited athletes for the first Australian Gay Games.

Glynn’s legacy lives on today and his influence transcends his founding organisations to reach the many LGBTQIA+ people across Australia who continue to push boundaries, become pioneers in their fields and disrupt the status quo, inspiring and strengthening a legacy of pride and progress.

On Wednesday, July 10, tSGLBA and Star Observer join forces to celebrate the enduring and pioneering legacy of their founder, Michael Glynn.

This iconic evening explores the past, present and future of the LGBTQIA+ community, honoring Glynn’s legacy by celebrating two leading and innovative LGBTQIA+ disruptors – one in business and one in media.

These disruptors will share their perspectives, journeys and visions for the future before diving into an intimate roundtable discussion moderated by Star Observer Editor-in-Chief Chloe Sargeant.

We’ll continue the conversation into the night while networking and celebrating our community over drinks and canapés!

Meet the Disruptors

THE BUSINESS DISRUPTOR: Hank Paul (they/them)

Hank makes the most of his 32-hour workday, holding multiple roles as an LGBTQIA+ advocate, social entrepreneur, writer, podcaster, and public speaker (not to mention an award-winning photographer). Being his own boss since the age of 18, Hank has worked at the forefront of social impact and inclusion, working in both the business and LGBTQIA+ sectors. With his unique perspective and passion for inclusion, Hank continues to inspire and captivate business leaders around the world.

“I am proud to be named a 2024 LGBTQIA+ Business Disruptor and to continue Michael’s legacy of serving our community through impactful entrepreneurship,” said Hank. “We all owe thanks to people like Michael Glynn for their role in disrupting and redefining what it means to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ identities.

“Business has evolved and consumers want brands that speak to their values and make them feel part of a community. Together with my business partner, Polly, I founded TheyConnect because I believe LGBTQIA+ people deserve to feel safe, seen and celebrated – whether it’s opening a new bank account, getting a haircut or going out to dinner with friends.

“To companies embarking on LGBTQ+ inclusion, I encourage you to be bold, authentic and disruptive, just like Michael Glynn.”

THE MEDIA DISRUPTOR: Patrick Abboud (he/him)

Pat is a Walkley Award-winning investigative journalist, writer, director and presenter, named Independent Journalist of the Year 2023. Pat’s groundbreaking film, ‘Welcome to Gayrabia’, released in 2024 for ABC TV, continues to receive critical acclaim.

Pat’s 2023 film for SBS’s premium documentary strand ‘Australia Uncovered: Kids Raising Kids’ has been nominated for Best Documentary at the 2023 AIDC. Pat has also been nominated for Best Director at the 2023 Australian Directors Guild Awards.

Pat is the co-creator and host of the gay crime podcast The Greatest Menace: Inside The Gay Prison Experiment for Audible. The podcast has won 19 international awards including the Grand Jury Prize and Podcast of the Year in London. Formerly at SBS TV, Pat founded The Feed, hosted and directed the Mardi Gras live TV show and was a foreign correspondent for Dateline.

Recently, his production company, Only Human, signed a worldwide deal with Dreamchaser Studios to produce Pat’s new slate of television and streaming projects.

Of being nominated for the LGBTQIA+ Media Disruptor Award, Pat says, “It’s a real privilege to receive this award in honour of Glynn. What a legend he was… so ahead of his time, creating spaces for authentic queer representation and powerful storytelling. I love that he was a little bit naughty and pushed boundaries. He found new ways to engage people and how his creative and open mind forged beautiful community connections. The impact of his work lives on through the years of the SSO and SGLBA.”

Meet the MC: Chloe Sargeant (she/they)

Chloe is a Melbourne-based writer, editor and queer scamp, proud of her roots in the northern suburbs of South Australia.

Chloe is the Editor-in-Chief of Star Observer, and her writing has appeared on SBS, ABC, Sydney Morning Herald, pedestrian.tv, Junkee, them.us, Broadsheet, Vogue Italia, Rip It Up, and many more.

Chloe won Journalist of the Year at the 2017 Australian LGBTI Awards and also received a Gender Centre Valories Award for her reporting on trans and gender diverse issues.

You can Find tickets to The Glynn Legacy event here.