This article argues that the rapid expansion of Australia's gay bar scene from the late 1970s was aided by the parallel development of a new media genre: the gay lifestyle publication. The reason for this was a powerful synergy that existed between the publicity needs of the bar scene and the editorial, distribution and revenue needs of the lifestyle magazines. Conversely, the lack of such a synergy between the internet and the bars today can be seen as contributing to the recent decline of gay bars in Australian cities.
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