‘Papa & Daddy’ Breaks Barriers as Asia’s First Original Series About Gay Parenting
On April 23, Asia’s first gay parenting webseries, Papa & Daddy, was released on GagaOOLala. The family comedy is six episodes long and stars Malaysian-Chinese actor and singer Melvin Sia (謝佳見), a two-time recipient of the Malaysia Golden Awards, and up-and-coming Taiwanese actor Mike Lin (林輝瑝).
Papa & Daddy tells the story of Damian (Sia), a recent divorcé who finally opens the restaurant of his dreams, Verso. There, he falls for YouTube vlogger Jerry (Lin), who hasn’t yet come out to his family. Their relationship nevertheless progresses, and the couple become parents through surrogacy.
About the role, Sia says, “I am highly honored to have had the chance to take on the role of Damian and have done my level best to rightfully portray his character. While much of the world is gradually becoming accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, it is clear that Asia is largely [lagging] behind. There is barely any LGBTQ+ content that makes it to the theaters or mainstream television especially from where I come from in Malaysia. Thus, with Papa & Daddy and GagaOOLala, I genuinely believe we can reach out to a larger online audience and ultimately, amplify the message of love and acceptance, diversity and equality for all, regardless of one’s sexual orientation.”
The gay parenting webseries Papa & Daddy is actually inspired by GagaOOLala’s own CEO, Jay Lin, who is a gay father himself.
Jay Lin says, “As a gay parent myself, I have heard people question whether children raised under LGBTQ+ households could grow up physically and psychologically healthy. I see Papa & Daddy as a personal opportunity to help shape the narrative on the modern family and in the process assist LGBTQ+ individuals who have contemplated starting a family.”
The series serves as a celebration of gay parenting, and it also showcases the real-life responsibilities, challenges and triumphs gay parents face.
Papa & Daddy is the second installment in GagaOOLala’s “Queer Up the Volume” anthology, which portrays the different aspects of queer life today.
You can stream the first two episodes of Papa & Daddy now on GagaOOLala. New episodes will be added every week.
