Ben&Ben's Pat Lasaten reflects on her coming out journey

Pat Lasaten and Agnes Reoma of the nine-piece folk-pop band Ben&Ben have come a long way in their relationship.

On TikTok, Pat decided to have a trip down memory lane about the time she came out to her parents in 2018 and all the challenges that came with it.

Pat began her post by reflecting on how she and Agnes started their relationship in 2014. It began in college when they were both studying at Saint Scholastica's College in Manila.

"October 2014: broke college kids, hiding our relationship from both our families," the keyboardist wrote.

According to Pat, they had hidden their relationship until she finally mustered up the courage to come out to her parents in 2018.

"[I] was so tired of making up excuses to hide the truth, so nag-out na ako," Pat said.

"My parents aren't exactly the most supportive, but dahil parehas namin tinatrabaho ['yung] pagtanggap nila, things are definitely much better when I first came out," she added.

Pat and Agnes got engaged in July last year.

Pat said she had a very difficult talk with her parents regarding the engagement and wedding because they were still on the journey of acceptance.

"[I] humbly asked kung nasaan na sila sa journey nila towards acceptance (coming [to terms] with the fact that your kid is queer) is also a journey," she said.

After nine years, Pat said she and Agnes are now living in a place they bought together, and just this year, they were able to invite both of their families to their condo.

"It's been [nine] years, and what I'd like to tell my 19-year-old self is that your little moments of courage will add up," she said.

"Ituloy mo lang nang ituloy," she added. "'Di mo mamamalayan na malayo na pala ['yung] narating mo dahil pinili mo maging matapang."

As of writing, Pat's TikTok video has over 706,000 views and more than 115,000 reactions.

In December, Ben&Ben held their homecoming concert after touring the United States and Canada.

The band is known for their hits "Leaves," "Kathang-Isip," "Sa Susunod Na Habang Buhay," and "Pagtingin," among others.

—Hermes Joy Tunac/MGP, GMA Integrated News