GagaOOLala, Asia’s First LGBTQ Streaming Platform, Has Officially Launched Globally
One year after Taiwan became the first Asian nation to celebrate marriage equality, there’s more big news out of the island: GagaOOLala, the first-ever Asian LGBTQ streaming platform, has officially launched globally. Founded four years ago in 2016, the platform had gradually expanded to countries throughout the Asian content and is now available worldwide for $6.99 USD per month.
GagaOOLala is known for its extensive catalog of Asian LGBTQ streaming content, including features, short films, series and original programming from Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, India and more.
Portico Media is the company behind GagaOOLala, and while they co-founded the Taiwan International Queer Film Festival, after three years they felt more needed to be done. “There was a lack of LGBTQ+ content available all year round in Taiwan and the rest of Asia,” Jay Lin, Portico’s CEO, tells Hornet. “A physical film festival happening during a few days was not the solution, we needed something 24/7. The situation in many Asian countries is still dire. In some of them homosexuality is still considered a crime. We needed to provide easier access to LGBTQ+ stories to let them know they are not alone.”
In upcoming months, the Asian LGBTQ streaming platform will be home to anticipated projects like a new sequel to the Thai/Japanese gay dramas Present Perfect and Present Still Perfect; the online world premiere of the gay French thriller 7 Minutes; Korean military-themed film Black Stone; and “BL” (boys’ love) content, a unique Asian genre with a flourishing international following. GagaOOLala says it wants to be the de facto home for the genre.
Original productions by GagaOOLala will be released on the platform this year, including the controversial film Sodom’s Cat, which Hornet noted in November 2018 marked a major shift in Taiwanese gay film when it portrayed a same-sex orgy.
There’s no better milestone to mark one year since marriage equality came to Taiwan than the global unveiling of this Asian LGBTQ streaming platform. And as part of the island nation’s Marriage Equality Coalition, GagaOOLala pushed hard for the law’s passing. In commemoration of the one-year anniversary, the original documentary Taiwan Equals Love — which follows the island’s path towards gay equality — is also being premiered.
And given that so many of us are stuck at home during this #GreatGayStayIn, GagaOOLala is doing its part by offering more than 30 free films to stream at home during this global pandemic, including some award-winning features.
Check out GagaOOLala now, available anywhere in the world via the web, Android and iOS. All content includes both English and Chinese subtitles, with more languages coming soon.