An e-commerce platform is is the topic of heavy conversation across Chinese social media and news sources after it posted a gay-themed advertisement.
Tmall, which is owned by Alibaba (BABA), is one of the largest online marketplaces in China, and it’s currently getting praise for its LGBTQ-inclusive ad. The 23-second ad, which you can watch below, shows two men arriving at one of their family’s home. “Kelvin” is introduced to his boyfriend’s family, and he is welcomed with love and acceptance. The two then celebrate the Chinese New Year with family members. Things do get awkward though when Kelvin is handed a bowl of food and thanks his boyfriend’s father by saying, “Thanks, Dad.”
The video has caught the attention of Weibo users, which is essentially the closest thing to Twitter in China. On that site, the video has over 117 thousand likes and more than 5,000 likes. LGBTQ education organization LoveMatters praised the video by a “prominent company” for it’s pro-LGBTQ message.
“The support of large companies for sexual minorities is one of the important factors for sexual minorities to gain visibility and be seen and recognized by the public. Thank you Tmall!” wrote Lovematters.
Speaking to CNN Business, Alibaba spoke about the advertisement and its message of camily time. Though, they chose to not comment on the gay theme.
“Chinese New Year is a time for family reunion and inclusion, and the ad is a creative expression to celebrate such an occasion,” said the company.
This isn’t the first time the company has supported LGBTQ people though. In fact, Alibaba teamed up with gay dating app Blued and flew 10 couples to Los Angeles for a week-long trip that included a group wedding ceremony.
Source: CNN,
