Lesbian daughter tells Hong Kong billionaire dad: Stop trying to make me straight
The lesbian daughter of a Hong Kong billionaire who offered a dowry of over £78 million to any man who married her has written an emotional open letter to her father, asking him to accept her for who she is.
Gigi Chao’s 77-year-old father Cecil Chao made headlines last year when he offered nearly £40 million to any man that could convince her to marry him, and again last week when he doubled his offer to £78 million, despite the fact she had already entered into a civil partnership with her female partner of almost nine years, Sean Eav.
In her letter, published in China’s South Morning Post, Gigi wrote: “Dear Daddy, I thought the timing was right for us to have a candid conversation.”
“I know it’s difficult for you to understand how I could feel romantically attracted to a woman; I suppose I can’t really explain it either. It just happens, peacefully and gently, and after so many years, we still love each other very much.
“My regret is that you have no idea how happy I am with my life, and there are aspects of my life that you don’t share. I suppose we don’t need each other’s approval for our romantic relationships.
“I do love my partner Sean, who does a good job of looking after me, ensuring I am fed, bathed and warm enough every day, and generally cheering me up to be a happy, jolly girl. She is a large part of my life, and I am a better person because of her. It would mean the world to me if you could just not be so terrified of her, and treat her like a normal, dignified human being.”
“I understand it is difficult for you to understand, let alone accept this truth. There are plenty of good men, they are just not for me.”
Mr Chao told reporters last week that he was hoping to “coax her towards a husband, children and a more traditional family structure for when she eventually inherits the Cheuk Nang property empire”, and that his 33-year-old daughter was “too young” to be sure that she is a lesbian.
Gigi received a deluge of would-be male suitors, and said that she had received a “vomit-making” number of photographs of potential suitors, some not fully clothed.
In an interview with the South Morning Post, she said she’s “actually a pretty boring person” away from the media attention, but said “I am proud of who I am, and I am happy to stand for what and who I am.”
