Gay Star and Upstart

Gay Star and Upstart were influential gay publications associated with Northern Ireland, covering the period from the late 1960s or early 1970s through 2001, with Upstart later reappearing as an electronic magazine. Together, they formed part of a wider publishing tradition that documented LGBTQ life, community organizing, cultural expression, legal conditions, and public-health concerns in and around Northern Ireland during a period of substantial political and social conflict. Their development followed earlier information sheets and journals such as Burnt Offering, also circulated under the name Gay Forum, and Northern Gay. Those earlier publications combined manifesto-like advocacy, practical information, and longer articles. Northern Gay was produced by a collective that included Brian Gilmore, Jeff Dudgeon, John Lyttle, Stella Mahon, Richard Kennedy, and Michael Workman, among others. Its thematic issues addressed subjects including coming out, the law, and women's issues. The collective eventually dissolved in part because of the continuing out-migration that affected both Northern Ireland's gay community and Ulster society more broadly. Gay Star succeeded Northern Gay and adopted a more magazine-like cultural and literary identity. The first four editions were edited by Peter Brooke, after which Seán McGouran and Terry McFarlane edited the publication. It was generally issued quarterly and was less focused on news than some of its predecessors. Its contents included essays, poetry, fiction, visual art, music writing, book reviews, theatre and cinema criticism, and discussion of legal and social issues. The magazine sought to present gay life and creativity at a high editorial and artistic level, showing audiences inside and outside Northern Ireland that the local community had substantial intellectual, cultural, and political contributions to make. The publication drew on a broad network of contributors. Writers included Northern Irish and Irish participants as well as contributors from Britain, the United States, and elsewhere. Its contributors addressed sexuality, law, culture, politics, literature, music, and community life. Poetry and fiction appeared alongside artwork and cover designs, giving Gay Star a character closer to an independent cultural journal than a narrowly defined news sheet. The magazine was distributed through independent bookshops across Ireland and Great Britain and had subscribers in mainland Europe, the United States, and Australia. Upstart developed from Update, a news sheet begun in 1985. Update responded to immediate community concerns, including alleged police harassment, reported discrimination against gay customers at Belfast's Europa Hotel, and growing recognition that Northern Ireland was not insulated from the HIV epidemic. Gay Star was privatized in 1989 and continued until 1991, when an enlarged Upstart replaced it. Unison printed Upstart for much of the 1990s, although that arrangement later ended. The publication, which in many respects continued Gay Star's editorial and community role, was last produced in print in 2001. Upstart was subsequently resurrected as an electronic magazine in 2007. The sources do not establish a current operating status, corporate owner, or continuing publication schedule.

Gay Star and Upstart belong to a sequence of LGBTQ publications that developed in Northern Ireland during the second half of the twentieth century. The tradition began with small-scale activist and informational publications. Burnt Offering, also known as Gay Forum, functioned more as a manifesto or pamphlet than as a conventional journal. Brian Gilmore also produced a GLS Information Sheet on a regular, often weekly term-time basis. The need for a more formal publication led to NIGRA News and then Northern Gay. Northern Gay was produced by a collective involving Brian Gilmore, Jeff Dudgeon, John Lyttle, Stella Mahon, Richard Kennedy, Michael Workman, and other contributors. It combined practical information with substantial thematic writing. Subjects included coming out, legal conditions, and women's issues. Its production reflected the importance of collective community work at a time when LGBTQ people in Northern Ireland faced legal inequality, social hostility, and the pressures of the Troubles. The collective eventually broke up, with out-migration identified as one factor. Gay Star followed Northern Gay and represented a shift toward a more ambitious magazine format. Peter Brooke edited its first four editions, followed by Seán McGouran and Terry McFarlane. Rather than concentrating primarily on current news, the magazine appeared essentially quarterly and published essays, verse, fiction, graphics, visual art, criticism, and cultural commentary. Its scope included legal and political writing as well as material about books, theatre, cinema, and music. Contributors came from Northern Ireland and elsewhere in Ireland and Britain, with additional participation from writers in the United States and other locations. The magazine's cultural purpose was significant. It aimed to demonstrate that a gay community living in a deeply troubled region possessed a rich intellectual and artistic life and could contribute to wider Irish, British, and international LGBTQ culture. Its distribution through independent bookshops in Ireland and Great Britain, together with subscriptions in mainland Europe, the United States, and Australia, gave it a reach beyond its regional base. Upstart developed from Update, a news sheet launched in 1985. Update was prompted by several urgent concerns: reported police harassment, allegations that the Europa Hotel in Belfast was purging gay clientele while denying the practice, and the recognition that HIV affected Northern Ireland as well as other communities. These circumstances gave the successor publication a more immediate public-health and community-information context. Gay Star was privatized in 1989 and remained in publication until 1991. It was then replaced by an enlarged Upstart, which continued many of its predecessor's functions and interests. Unison printed Upstart for most of the 1990s, but that production relationship later ended. The print publication was last produced in 2001. Upstart was revived as an electronic magazine in 2007. Available reference material does not establish the precise current status, ownership, editorial structure, or publication frequency of the electronic version.

1. 2007Upstart returns as an electronic magazine

   Upstart was resurrected in electronic-magazine form.

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2. 2001Last known print issue

   The print version of Upstart was last produced in 2001.

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3. 1991Upstart replaces Gay Star

   An enlarged Upstart replaced Gay Star and carried forward much of its predecessor's editorial role.

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4. 1989Gay Star is privatized

   Gay Star underwent privatization and continued as a publication until 1991.

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5. 1985Update begins publication

   Update was launched as a news sheet addressing police harassment, alleged discrimination at Belfast's Europa Hotel, and the growing HIV crisis.

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Independent LGBTQ community publishing with a strong Northern Irish base, combining advocacy and information with literary, artistic, cultural, and political coverage.

• Gay StarLGBTQ cultural magazine

  A primarily quarterly magazine that succeeded Northern Gay. Gay Star combined essays on sexuality, law, politics, and community life with poetry, fiction, graphics, visual art, music writing, and reviews of books, theatre, and cinema. It was distributed through independent bookshops in Ireland and Great Britain and reached subscribers in mainland Europe, the United States, and Australia.

• UpdateCommunity news sheet1985

  A news sheet launched in 1985 in response to immediate concerns affecting Northern Ireland's gay community, including reported police harassment, alleged exclusion of gay customers from the Europa Hotel, and awareness of HIV in the region. Update provided a more direct information and campaigning context for the later Upstart publication.

• UpstartLGBTQ magazine1991

  An enlarged publication that replaced Gay Star in 1991. Upstart continued the earlier magazine's combination of community information, cultural writing, advocacy, and creative work. It was printed by Unison for much of the 1990s, with the print edition last produced in 2001, and later returned as an electronic magazine in 2007.

• 2007Electronic revival of UpstartProduct launch

  The print publication had ended in 2001, but the Upstart identity remained associated with LGBTQ publishing.

  What changed. Upstart was resurrected as an electronic magazine.

  Aftermath. The available reference does not specify the electronic magazine's subsequent publishing schedule or current status.

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• 1991Transition from Gay Star to UpstartGeneration change

  Gay Star ended after its post-privatization period, while the need for LGBTQ community publishing and cultural coverage continued.

  What changed. An enlarged Upstart replaced Gay Star and took up many of its predecessor's functions.

  Aftermath. Upstart continued in print through 2001 and was later revived electronically in 2007.

  Source
• 1989Privatization of Gay StarStrategy

  Gay Star had developed from collective and community-oriented publishing and was operating as a magazine for Northern Ireland's LGBTQ community.

  What changed. The publication was privatized in 1989.

  Aftermath. Gay Star continued until 1991, when it was replaced by an enlarged version of Upstart.

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• 2007Upstart is resurrected as an electronic magazine

  Upstart returned in electronic-magazine form, extending the publication's life beyond its print run.

  Product launch
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• 2001Upstart print publication ends

  The print publication associated with Upstart was last produced in 2001.

  Other
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• 1991Upstart replaces Gay Star in enlarged form

  An enlarged version of Upstart replaced Gay Star and continued much of its predecessor's publishing and community role.

  Product generation
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• 1989Gay Star is privatized

  Gay Star was privatized and continued publication until 1991.

  Other
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• 1985Update begins publication in response to community pressures

  The news sheet Update was started amid concerns about police harassment, alleged exclusion of gay customers at Belfast's Europa Hotel, and the emerging HIV crisis.

  Other
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• Gay Star succeeds Northern Gay as a cultural gay magazine

  Gay Star emerged as the successor to Northern Gay and developed a quarterly format emphasizing essays, poetry, fiction, visual art, criticism, and community perspectives.

  Other
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• Upstart is printed by Unison for much of the 1990s

  The trade union Unison printed Upstart for most of the 1990s before that arrangement ended.

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1. Gay Star and Upstart