Tonight, the worlds of business, media and community converged in a powerful celebration of truth, and disruption as the Pride Business Association (NSW) and the Star Observer co-hosted the 2025 Glynn Legacy event. The evening was a vibrant tribute to the late Michael Glynn, the visionary founder who laid the groundwork for both organisations.
The spotlight shone brightly on two contemporary LGBTQIA+ game-changers: David Cairncross, recognised in business, and James King, honoured in media. Both embody Glynn’s unwavering commitment to challenging the status quo and fearlessly pursuing change.
Honouring a “Firebrand, a Radical, and a Disruptor”
Chloe Sargeant, Managing Editor of the Star Observer, kicked off the night with a passionate homage to Michael Glynn, describing him as “a firebrand, a radical, and a disruptor.” She underscored his profound dedication to the community, stating, “He cared about truth, about our people, about not looking away when things got messy or violent, and he cared about using his voice to speak up and to speak out.”
Glynn founded the Star Observer in 1979 and the Pride Business Association (originally the Gay Business Association) in 1981 – a time when “being gay was to be ignored, hated, and criminalized, stigmatized, treated like a public health threat.” Sargeant highlighted his immense courage: “It was radical behaviour to proclaim your identity loudly, to publish queer truth, and to promote rainbow business at a time when doing so could cost you your job, your family, your safety, and even your life. But he did it and he did it without thinking twice.”
Sargeant’s call to action was clear and urgent, particularly in support of the trans community: “Trans people were there at the start, and they are here now. They need us more than ever to show up and stand beside them loudly, publicly, unapologetically and radically demanding change for them.” She concluded by emphasising the critical need for disruptors and community platforms: “As a community, we need disruptors like [Michael Glynn], we need spaces like [Qtopia Sydney]. We need queer media. We need businesses owned and led by queer people who understand what our community needs because they are part of our community.”
Lawrence Gibbons, publisher of the Star Observer, offered a globally insightful address, recounting Michael Glynn’s arrival in Australia in 1970, escaping the Vietnam War draft. Glynn went on to found the Sydney Star, which evolved into the Star Observer, now “the largest and quite frankly, the last remaining print publication in the country.”
Lawrence Gibbons: If we’re quiet, we are going to be obliterated”
Gibbons also shared a sobering experience from a recent LGBTQIA+ business conference in Los Angeles, detailing confronting conversations with UK delegates where “the Supreme Court has basically ruled that trans people don’t exist,” leaving trans individuals living in fear. His advice was firm: “You can’t go back. You need to be open, you need to be honest, you need to be out there because if you don’t, we are going to revert.” He warned against complacency in the age of algorithms and AI: “If we’re quiet, we are going to be obliterated,” echoing Sargeant’s crucial point that “we need queer media. We must have LGBTQIA voices.”
PBA’s Evolution: Forging Stronger Bonds
Jarrod Lomas, President of the Pride Business Association (NSW), also took the stage to discuss the PBA’s evolution, including its recent name change. He quoted Michael Glynn, saying, “As a community, we have…forged a fragile and growing bond that could enable us to achieve the unity that we so desperately need.”
Jarrod acknowledged Glynn as a “disruptor, a visionary and a complex figure,” who “challenged the stereotypes of what a gay man could be, and just as often challenged his own community in the process.” While Glynn might not have initially approved of the name change, Jarrod believes “he would have come around, not because of the name itself, but because of the intent behind it… making space for more people, more stories, more futures.”
Jarrod Lomas, President of the Pride Business Association (NSW) acknowledged Glynn as a “disruptor, a visionary and a complex figure”.
He highlighted the PBA’s ongoing commitment to supporting LGBTQIA+ professionals and empowering small businesses, including initiatives like the Glynn Scholarship, a $10,000 education grant. Jarrod concluded by emphasising the diverse forms of disruption and their collective impact: “Our community has always been a conversation across generations – between those who first marched and those who now carry on that legacy, those who made the space and those who are reshaping it… Michael Glynn disrupted. And so do we. Not in the same ways, not in the same style. But in the same spirit, because today, achieving unity through fragile and growing bonds is not only critical, but is something we can all do, together.”
Gibbons also shared a sobering experience from a recent LGBTQIA+ business conference in Los Angeles, detailing confronting conversations with UK delegates where “the Supreme Court has basically ruled that trans people don’t exist,” leaving trans individuals living in fear. His advice was firm: “You can’t go back. You need to be open, you need to be honest, you need to be out there because if you don’t, we are going to revert.” He warned against complacency in the age of algorithms and AI: “If we’re quiet, we are going to be obliterated,” echoing Sargeant’s crucial point that “we need queer media. We must have LGBTQIA voices.”
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Unboxing Pride: Disrupting Mental Healthcare
David Cairncross, the visionary behind Unboxed Pride, was celebrated as the 2025 Business Disruptor. In a moving video message, David revealed that his own “five-year struggle to find the right help and psychologist” for anxiety and depression, which escalated to “suicidal ideations,” spurred him to create Unboxed Pride.
His platform is a game-changing telehealth service designed to connect the LGBTQIA+ community with affirming psychologists, providing “fast supportive access, handling Medicare rebates and removing barriers.” David defined a disruptor as “someone who challenges the system and tradition with the belief that there is a better, more efficient way of doing things, creating a plan and moving ahead in a trailblazing manner to make it a reality.”
He concluded with a powerful message of empowerment: “It’s a reminder that real change happens when we refuse to accept the status quo and instead choose to build something better, something braver, and something that puts our community first… Our community deserves nothing less than radical affirming accessible care for all.”
James King: Unearthing Truths in Investigative Journalism
The evening’s Media Disruptor, acclaimed investigative journalist James King, joined Chloe Sargeant for an insightful panel discussion. James shared that his path to journalism stemmed from a “strong interest in law… that evolved into a strong interest in politics… [then] national security… [and] intelligence.” He sees investigative journalism and intelligence as “similar… I enjoy publishing.”
The evening’s Media Disruptor, acclaimed investigative journalist James King, joined Chloe Sargeant for an insightful panel discussion.
When asked about his focus on gay hate crimes, James admitted it was “in part it was a fear.” He stressed the importance of revealing these truths and emphasised the sanctity of his relationship with sources, stating, “Being worthy of that trust, taking that trust seriously, appreciating the sanctity of someone sharing their life experience with you, letting you bear witness to that. It’s a powerful moment.”
He agreed with Sargeant’s assertion that investigative journalism is “radical in 2025,” noting, “I have fewer and fewer colleagues in this space.” Despite the commercial gambles involved in such time-intensive work, James highlighted its crucial role in bringing important stories to light, like his investigation into a man preying on gay men via Grindr. He credits the bravery of his sources as paramount in such cases.
On the role of investigations in the broader fight for LGBTQIA+ justice, James stated, “My Reality to the fullest extent matters. Any advocacy. Clear Picture of what is going on. And, sometimes the agencies whose work it is to, you know, keep communities safe… [need] some scrutiny on those issues.” He cited his recent work exposing a spree of hate crimes across Sydney, involving young gangs with firearms charges, underscoring the urgent need for such reporting.
The 2025 Glynn Legacy event concluded with attendees invited to continue conversations over drinks and canapés, celebrating community and the enduring spirit of disruption embodied by Michael Glynn and the night’s honorees. A commemorative plaque for Michael Glynn was also unveiled, serving as a lasting tribute to his monumental impact.
Qtopia Sydney now displays the plaque on the wall for Michael Glynn Founder of the PBA (NSW) and Star Observer.
