Several days ago, there was news about Gigi Chao, daughter of property tycoon Cecil Chao, who entered a civil partnership with her girlfriend of seven years in a ceremony in Paris five months ago. Mr. Chao is offering $65 million to any man who can woo her away from her lesbian partner. Ms. Chao told the Associated Press that the dowry set by her father to whoever wants to marry her, is actually a way of him expressing his fatherly love. She also mentioned that she and her father are in a harmonious term.
I personally was startled by this news. The fact that a man is willing to give $65 million to whoever wants to marry his daughter is very sad. I could not imagine how Ms. Chao’s partner would feel if I were in her place. To the Associated Press, Ms. Chao said that she felt that her father was just trying to give the best for her, and she feels that it’s her father’s way of expressing his love. Now why would a grown up woman not be upset that her father refused to accept his daughter’s union? Perhaps culture and tradition also plays a part in this issue.
If I were Ms. Chao’s partner, I would have been offended and would have spoken to the public. However, things are different in the culture of the east. Not many people are as open minded and open about their sexuality due to the hardcore traditions.
In the east, especially China, marriage is an essential. Due to the one-child policy in China, parents want their children to maintain the family continuity. Elders, in China, almost have zero tolerance towards homosexuality. I understand that the older generations may have some tensions toward homosexuality, but the world is rapidly changing.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Hong Kong in 1991, which means that before that, homosexuals would be up for a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
As an Asian myself, I feel like in this day and age, people should be able to freely express their emotions, opinions, as well as affections to whoever they want. For people who still say that being gay is a choice, I feel like it’s very ignorant of them to say so without going through what other gay individuals have been through.
Relating back to the issue, Ms. Chao may have said that her dad’s action was a way of him saying love to her but honestly, if I was in Ms. Chao’s place I would be upset. It’s one thing not to accept one’s sexuality but it’s another thing to reward a heterosexual to marry a homosexual.
In many articles that I’ve read, Mr. Chao stated that he is offering the money because he wants his daughter to have a comfortable life in Hong Kong, which he believes will require a house worth $19 million.
To me, Mr. Chao’s statement is big “bullcrap.” By offering that money, it showed his ignorance of not admitting his daughter’s sexuality. I feel that both Ms. Chao and Mr. Chao are just playing nice in the public to protect their reputation. The daughter said that she’s flattered with her dad’s action and Mr. Chao, I feel like he is just doing this based on his own will and belief that roots back to the eastern tradition. Well who can blame him? He’s a 74 year-old Hongkongese man. Perhaps the fact that homosexuality is more exposed today is a good sign in every part of the world.
The ‘East’ should catch up with the ‘West’ really fast. While Mr. Chao is still caught up with the traditional values he believes in, the rest of the world should wake up and realize that love is love. It doesn’t matter the sex, race, religion and others. Whatever happened to “love is blind?” If people look at this issue closely, it’s actually like a simple case of rejection because the dowry that the dad had set for whoever wants to marry his daughter says that he doesn’t accept the daughter’s sexuality and the fact is, money can’t buy one’s love and not everything about marriage involves money.