Dear Straight People's Founder Sean Foo on Chaos, Candour and Keeping the Conversations Unfiltered

Season 4 of The Unfiltered Gay Podcast arrives with a new home, a live audience and a bigger ambition.

What began a decade ago as a blog has grown into one of Singapore’s more recognisable independent LGBTQ+ media platforms. Dear Straight People now spans short films, documentaries, vlogs and podcasts, including the award-winning The Unfiltered Gay Podcast, known for its outspoken opinions, wild stories and irreverent banter.

Season 4 marks a turning point. Thanks to a new partnership with Carnival, the podcast has a brand-new set, a refreshed format and weekly episodes. For the first time, every recording takes place in front of a live audience. The next one is on 22 November.

In this conversation with FLUX Media, Sean Foo talks about the podcast’s most vulnerable episode, the cost of growing a creator-led production and the stereotypes that still shape mainstream portrayals of gay men. He also discusses the rise of boys’ love dramas and the long-term goal of making original LGBTQ+ films on the platform’s own terms.

1. Season 4 is here. How would you pitch it to someone who has never watched or listened to the show?

The Unfiltered Gay Podcast is an award-winning show known for its unfiltered opinions, wild stories and playful banter. At heart, it’s an entertainment podcast that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Expect plenty of laughs, outrageous confessions and the occasional controversial hot take.

2. What can returning audiences expect that’s new this season?

You’ll get the same chaotic energy, playful banter and hot takes, with a fresh twist. This season we’ve introduced a brand-new set at Carnival, a refreshed format and, most notably, a live audience at every recording. For the first time, anyone can come down and experience the chaos in person.

Our next recording is on 22 November, so drop by for one episode or stay for all four.

3. What was the starting point for this season? Was there a feeling or real-life experience you wanted to explore?

Unlike a scripted series, The Unfiltered Gay Podcast isn’t driven by a storyline. It’s an unscripted entertainment show where we explore different topics through our personal experiences, our opinions and plenty of spontaneous banter.

4. Which episode are you proudest of so far, and why?

If I had to recommend just one episode from the podcast as a whole, it would be our conversation about gay loneliness. I think it’s one of our strongest to date. We’re generally known for our humour and outrageous stories, but that episode showed a more vulnerable side of the show, and our ability to have meaningful conversations about issues that resonate with the community.

5. What was the biggest challenge in making this season, and how did you get past it?

Rising production costs have always been our biggest challenge. We’ve come a long way since Season 1, which was filmed in a dingy warehouse, but as our production quality improved, so did our expenses. That was one of the main reasons Season 3 was released so infrequently.

Thankfully, our new partnership with Carnival has made weekly episodes possible. Our live recordings have also drawn encouraging turnouts, and we hope to build on that momentum. Ultimately, we’d love for them to become a staple of Singapore’s gay social calendar, giving the community something fresh and different to look forward to.

6. When you made Getaway, you said you didn’t want it to play out like conventional boys’ love dramas. How has your approach to writing and casting evolved since then?

I started out creating online content, which meant building my own audience from scratch. That experience shapes how I approach storytelling. Whether I’m writing a script, casting actors or developing a new concept, I always ask what audiences would genuinely want to watch. I think that’s what separates me from traditional filmmakers.

Creative integrity matters, of course, but I also believe that making something meaningful and making something entertaining don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

7. You’ve spoken publicly about stereotypes in how mainstream Singapore media portrays gay characters. What does a good portrayal look like, and are you seeing progress?

Queer visibility in Singapore is at an all-time high, with more creators openly embracing their sexuality and sharing their stories. In mainstream media, though, we still have a long way to go. We continue to see portrayals that conflate homosexuality with cross-dressing, as though being gay automatically means being feminine or wanting to dress as a woman.

To me, good representation recognises that LGBTQ+ people aren’t a monolith. We come from different backgrounds, have different personalities and lead very different lives. Our sexuality is just one aspect of who we are, and I’d love to see more mainstream portrayals that reflect that diversity.

8. Boys’ love dramas are hugely popular with straight audiences. Does that popularity help real LGBTQ+ visibility, or does it risk romanticising the experience?

I think it can do both, and I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing. On one hand, the popularity of boys’ love dramas has brought same-sex relationships into mainstream entertainment, particularly for audiences who might not otherwise seek out LGBTQ+ content. That visibility is valuable.

At the same time, these dramas are ultimately entertainment, and they don’t necessarily reflect the realities of being gay. I don’t think every BL drama needs to be an accurate portrayal of the LGBTQ+ experience. There’s room for escapist romance, just as there’s room for more grounded, realistic storytelling. What matters to me is a diversity of stories, so that BL dramas aren’t the only lens through which audiences understand gay relationships.

9. You’ve talked about reaching financial independence so Dear Straight People can make original LGBTQ+ stories on film. Where are you on that journey, and what does that film look like in your head?

Dear Straight People has evolved tremendously since it started as a blog a decade ago. Today we’ve expanded into short films, documentaries, podcasts, vlogs and more. But the long-term vision has always been the same: to build an independent media platform that spotlights LGBTQ+ stories on our own terms.

That’s why we’ve been placing greater emphasis on Patreon and YouTube memberships recently. A sustainable, audience-supported business would give us the creative freedom to pursue stories that might otherwise struggle to secure traditional funding or commercial sponsorship. We’re not quite there yet, but every new supporter brings us one step closer.

10. If a young gay person in Singapore watches your work ten years from now, what do you hope they feel, and what do you want Dear Straight People to be remembered for?

I hope Dear Straight People continues to be a valuable online resource for anyone looking to better understand the LGBTQ+ community. Beyond that, I hope we’re remembered as a platform that made people feel something. Whether you’ve laughed, cried, felt seen, been entertained or even cursed at us for something we’ve said, I hope our work has left an impression.

Ultimately, I’d rather we be remembered for sparking conversations than for simply playing it safe.

Join the chaos

Whether you’re a longtime listener or have never heard an episode, Season 4 is a good time to start. With weekly episodes, a new set at Carnival and a live audience at every recording, The Unfiltered Gay Podcast is more open than it has ever been. You can come for the laughs and the outrageous confessions, and you might stay for the more vulnerable moments, like the episode on gay loneliness.

The next recording takes place on 22 November. Drop by for one episode or stay for all four, and be part of the live audience.

If you can’t make it in person, you can still back the team’s vision of an independent platform that tells LGBTQ+ stories on its own terms. Supporting Dear Straight People through Patreon or YouTube memberships helps build that future, and as Sean says, every new supporter brings them one step closer.

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