Austinist Interviews AGLCC President Jimmy Flannigan About Forward Austin

What was the inspiration for Forward Austin?

After being elected President of the chamber towards the end of 2006, I took a broad look at the materials the chamber was producing. At the time we were doing a monthly 1-page newsletter and a semi-annual printed directory. Neither of these publications was doing much to further our mission and in some cases, were a poor representation of the chamber as a whole. Inspiration hit me during a conversation with Jonn Cherico, the eventual creative director of the magazine. It occurred to me that the chamber could produce a high-quality magazine which combined the best parts of a newsletter and a directory and really set the bar in Austin for the LGBT community... and at the same time spend the same or less money producing it than two separate publications, create a much stronger brand, and eventually drive additional revenues into the organization.

How do you intend to bring together Austin's GLBT community?

The biggest challenge of the AGLCC is to unify the community across all demographic lines and restore a sense of Pride that extends beyond the annual Pride parade. That sense of community is created through visibility and communication, which a chamber of commerce is uniquely poised to do.

We create visibility through our growing membership ... of gay and gay-friendly businesses all across town, giving LGBT people places they can confidently go and shop, eat, and spend their money. We create communication via our website and community calendar and through the new magazine.

The magazine specifically is a cornerstone to our communication with the community because we can reach the "hidden" community... the gay businesses and gay professionals that represent a significant portion of our population but do not participate in the most visible aspects of gay culture. Commerce, above all else, is the element that binds all members of the community together with a common goal.

Is there an actual cohesive GLBT community in Austin? One that exists beyond the clubs, bar scene?

Austin is unique in many ways, and the LGBT community is no different. With the 6th largest concentration of LGBT people in the nation (and largest in the South outside of Florida), Austin is by far the largest city without a designated gay neighborhood or district. Without a geographic center to call home, Austin's gay community often feels non-existent, even though we're integrated into all aspects of Austin's culture.

But what we've discovered as a chamber is that while the community is largely invisible, it DOES exist and IS a vibrant and diverse population which craves a sense of unity. The chamber reached 200 members for the first time in December and we're already fast on our way to 300 members. The more we increase our visibility, the more the community has responded positively to our mission of economic prosperity.

How often will Forward Austin be published, and where might we find it around town?

Forward Austin will be published quarterly (February, May, August, November) and is available as a free subscription through our website, www.forwardaustin.com. Now that the first issue is out, we are canvassing the town setting up distribution points, all of which will be listed on the website as well.

What special events are you planning for this year's Pride Parade?

This year's pride parade is going to be the best yet! Our parade chairman Troy Hanna, with the help of Shout magazine, has planned some exciting new elements to this year's 6th annual parade. The biggest change will be the addition of pre- and post-parade shows on 4th street. These shows will include several acts from singers to dancers and will prepare the spectators for the main parade. We are anticipating over 40,000 spectators and over 1,200 participants for what is the largest LGBT event in Austin. There are many more exciting details to come still being finalized so be sure to check the parade website for more information!

If folks wish to contribute content, submit stories/artwork, or help out with the magazine, how might they do so?

There are four ways to contribute to the magazine. First, any business owners who want to write articles based on their expertise need to join the chamber first (www.aglcc.org) and then contact the editor with your article ideas. The "Knowledge" section of the magazine is dedicated to that kind of educational content. Second, the next issue will be focused on Pride and specifically we're looking for people's coming out at work stories. We really want to hear from the straight community as well for professionals who had to come out as "straight" to gay clientele. Third, the next issue will kick off our talkback section, "Squawk" where we'll publish letters to the editor in response to the articles in the previous issue.

Finally, the cover art of the magazine will always be an original creation by a local artist. The first cover was created by Evan Cagle, lead animator on A Scanner Darkly, and we would love other local artists to contact us if they would like to be the featured artist.

But really the best way to help out with the magazine is to advertise! Anyone who would like to help, write content, or advertise should contact the editor.