Spikes Asia 2017: A drag queen brings up the diversity debate

During daytime Gianni Gurnani is an advertising executive in the creative departments of a leading agency in Hong Kong. At night he transforms into Gi Gi Giubilee, a drag queen who wears outrageous wigs, vibrant outfits and dramatic make-up.

At Spikes Asia Gigi began his talk with a small song and dange routine. Watch that video here.

He then proceeded to ask some existential questions. "What is it that differentiates drag queens from the rest of us," Gigi asked the audience at Spikes Asia and then proceeded to answer it himself. "People think we are not normal."

This is where he feels that the advertising business, especially, has a lot of work cut out. For a business that prides itself in creating ideas that are cutting edge and breakthrough, there is a lot of discomfort in having a diverse set of people as  employees, says Gigi.

According to him, agecy hires are often of people who look and feel the same and have a common set of interests. Diversity does suffer in the bargain. Point well made, but is anyone listening?