Gigi Chao
Hong Kong prominent lesbian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gigi Chao (Chinese: 趙式芝; born 23 June 1979) is a Hong Kong business woman and activist, the vice-chair of Cheuk Nang (Holdings) Ltd.[1][2]
Gigi Chao | |||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Gigi Chao | ||||||||||||||||
| Citizenship | Hong Kong | ||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Manchester School of Architecture | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Vice Chairman of Cheuk Nang (Holdings) Ltd. | ||||||||||||||||
| Partner | JW | ||||||||||||||||
| Parent(s) | Cecil Chao (father) Kelly Yiu, Wai (mother) | ||||||||||||||||
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Education
Chao holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture with Honours from the Manchester School of Architecture, jointly administered by the University of Manchester and the Manchester Metropolitan University.[3]
Work and activism
Chao, a feminist and lesbian, is an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights in Hong Kong and Asia.[4] She was the first female President of the Hong Kong Aviation Club.[5] She was also an early investor in Tesla and supported the company's early development in Hong Kong with purchasing two of the first generation Tesla Roadsters in 2011.[6][7]
In 2019, Chao founded the organisation Hong Kong Marriage Equality[8] to advocate for the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Hong Kong. Chao wrote an early thesis on marriage equality and published it for peer review in 2011–2012.[9]
Personal life
In 2012, Chao gained international attention[10] when her father, Cecil Chao, offered $65 million to any man who could marry her.[11][12] Despite criticism, her father remained unrepentant.[13][14] In 2014 Cecil Chao increased the reward to $180 million.[15][16][17] Gigi responded publicly in an open letter printed in the South China Morning Post. The letter expresses defiance of her father's wishes and asks for respect for the LGBT community.[18][19]
