Watch: Gay son comes out to dad in Taiwan McDonald’s viral ad

A moving advert for McDonald’s McCafé in Taiwan that shows a young man coming out to his father has gone viral and generated controversy.

In the video, titled Acceptance, the son writes, “I like boys”, on his coffee cup and shows it to his father. The older man seems upset and walks off to the dismay and heartbreak of the young man.

The father soon returns and writes on the same coffee cup, changing the sentence to: “I accept that you like boys.” He smiles at his son who reacts with relief.

This is followed by the tagline: “Let there be more warmth in conversations.”

The video was posted on McDonald’s Taiwan’s Facebook page and since Friday has been watched over 800,000 times.

While the video has generally been well received on social media, some religious leaders have called for a boycott of McDonald’s.

According to Shanghaiist.com, the Alliance of Taiwan Religious Groups for the Protection of Family proclaimed that the ad would make people “feel polluted” when eating at the fast food chain.

“Because McDonald’s is frequented by many children, it is especially important to oppose the promotion of same-sex behaviour,” said the group in a statement, affirming its opposition to “all advertising that miseducate children on sexual behaviour.”

Taiwan is regarded as one of the most progressive states in Asia when it comes to LGBT rights.

Homosexuality is legal and discrimination against gays and lesbians is outlawed in the areas of employment and education. The nation hosts one of the largest Pride events in the region, attended by around 65,000 people.

Same-sex marriage is not a reality, but both the outgoing and incoming presidents have expressed their support for recognising gay and lesbian couples.

Some cities have started registering same-sex relationships, although this is a largely symbolic move.