Chia Wei Chi, social activist
Cover Taiwanese social activist Chia Wei Chi has fought for gay rights for over three decades.

Whether they’re activists, pop culture celebrities, artists or business leaders, these men and women are helping make the world a richer, more diverse place

A hotelier, filmmaker, pop diva and internet superstar on Asia’s Most Influential list are among the bright lights working toward more acceptance and greater understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community. They help pass landmark laws as social activists, create inclusive spaces as community leaders, or break biases as creative champions. By fighting for equality, they also give hope to LGBTQIA+ people who need to see more of themselves in the world. Through their different platforms, they help shape a brighter world where everyone can express their authentic selves without fear or discrimination.

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Glen Goei, co-artistic director, Wild Rice Singapore (Singapore)

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Glen Goei, co-artistic director, Wild Rice Singapore (Singapore)
Above Glen Goei, co-artistic director, Wild Rice Singapore

Glen Goei is best known for starring opposite Anthony Hopkins in M. Butterfly at London’s West End, a role that launched his career; and as the filmmaker behind Forever Fever, one of the first Singaporean films that saw worldwide commercial release. But beyond his successes in movies and theatre, Goei is an advocate for equality. Under his Unseen series, the creative has produced documentaries that illustrate the powerful and difficult journeys of marginalised communities in Southeast Asia. In Some Women, director Quen Wang turns the camera on herself to bare her vulnerabilities as a transgender person. And in Baby Queen, Opera Tang navigates queer acceptance as she debuts as a drag queen during the global pandemic.

Goei is also the co-author of the Ready 4 Repeal petition, which seeks to change laws surrounding gay relationships. Of the movement, he said: “We must protect the rights of our minorities, who are our family members, our friends, our colleagues, and our fellow citizens.”

Read Glen Goei’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Chia Wei Chi, social activist (Taiwan)

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Chia Wei Chi, social activist
Above Chia Wei Chi, social activist

After decades of fighting for equality and acceptance, Chia Wei Chi is now seeing his efforts bear fruit. Taiwan serves as a beacon for gay rights around the world, having legalised same-sex marriage in May 2019. In January 2023, Taiwan also lifted restrictions on same-sex marriage between citizens and foreign nationals and, in May 2023, it granted joint adoption rights for same-sex couples.

When Chi publicly came out as gay in 1986, he was the first person in Taiwan to do so, and thus helped pave the way for others. The rights advocate challenged the courts, on multiple occasions, to review marriage laws, a fight that ultimately led to Taiwan’s same-sex marriage law, the first in Asia. Often seen raising the rainbow banner at rallies and parades, the symbol of the LGBTQIA+ community is living proof that fighting for what you believe in creates the change you seek.

Read Chia Wei Chi’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Katherine Lo, founder, Eaton Workshop

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Katherine Lo, founder, Eaton Workshop
Above Katherine Lo, founder, Eaton Workshop

“My vision with creating Eaton Workshop utilises hospitality as a vehicle to create a better world, by reimagining our physical spaces as a true community centre. With inclusivity as one of our core values, a hotel space becomes a host for those living at the margins and dream of a fairer world,” said founder Katherine Lo in a statement. Reflecting her ideals, Eaton’s Hong Kong location features gender-neutral bathrooms, while its Washington, D.C. hotel has been approved by the mayor’s office as an empowering space for trans-identified people.

Beyond its properties, Eaton Workshop also co-produced the documentary No Justice No Pride, which follows the story of a transgender-rights organisation as it fulfils its role as a safe space for trans and queer people. In June 2022, Eaton HK also embarked on a month-long celebration of pride and solidarity, with film screenings, a drag workshop, exhibitions and staycations.

Read Katherine Lo’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

A-mei, singer and music producer (Taiwan)

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a-mei main image
Above A-mei, singer and music producer

In May 2019, Taiwan passed its same-sex marriage law, becoming the first in Asia to do so. On the same day, Mandopop superstar A-mei posted an image of a rainbow flag with the note on Facebook: “I cried when I saw the news... It's come a long way and you can finally be proud of yourselves! My dearest heroes, I really want to hug you one by one. After the rain in the morning, our rainbow is complete.”

The Taiwanese singer has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. A-mei was one of the first celebrities to sign a petition for same-sex marriage in the country and also led a benefit concert for the cause. She has highlighted equality in many of her songs, as well, with the music video for “Love Is The Only Way” featuring a marriage ceremony between men, and “Rainbow” becoming an anthem for same-sex relationships. 

In April 2022, the singer held a 12-day concert at the Taipei Arena. Proving her enduring popularity, the concert’s 130,000 tickets were sold out in nine minutes. Her performances reportedly produced tremors near the arena. 

Read A-mei’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Bretman Rock Laforga, influencer (Philippines)

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Bretman Rock Laforga
Above Bretman Rock Laforga, influencer (Photo by Gotham for WireImage / Getty Images)

Perhaps the biggest contribution of Bretman Rock Laforga to the LGBTQI+ community is his unapologetic presentation of himself as a queer person who wears makeup and enjoys genderfluid fashion on social media (he has 18.7 million followers on Instagram, 15.4 million on TikTok, and 8.8 million on YouTube) and everywhere else. 

The viral sensation from the Philippines (who is, however, based in Hawaii) has been known to speak about the importance of representation in his many media appearances, from his MTV reality show to magazine features in Teen Vogue and Nylon Manila. In 2021, Laforga became the first openly gay man to appear on the cover of Playboy. “For Playboy to have a male on the cover is a huge deal for the LGBT community… And I’m so pretty,” he says in a tweet shared by the online magazine.

Read Bretman Rock Laforga’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential

Patrick Sun, founder, Sunpride Collection (Hong Kong)

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patrick sun
Above Patrick Sun, founder, Sunpride Collection

Patrick Sun shares his trove of collected artworks by LGBTQI+ artists or with LGBTQI+ themes through the Sunpride Foundation. In 2017, he debuted the first major LGBTQI+ art show in Asia, Spectrosynthesis I, at Taipei’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and, two years later, launched its second edition at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.

Through paintings, installations, photographs and video works, Sun, who is a property developer, advocates for diversity, acceptance and equal rights. In a Living Marketing podcast, he explained why it is important to present gay art in public institutions, sharing how a museum can reach more people: “That has been very helpful. It does raise visibility and respect for the artist and the gay community”. For him, the goal is to build a “more equitable world” for LGBTQI+ people through art.

The art collector has most recently presented Myth Makers – Spectrosynthesis III, which will run until April 2023 at Tai Kwun Contemporary.

Read Patrick Sun’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential


Tatler Asia's Most Influential is the definitive list of people shaping our world today. Asia's Most Influential brings together the region's most innovative changemakers, industry titans and thought leaders who are driving positive impact in Asia and beyond. View the full list here.

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