This Commercial Nails the Anxiety Queer Filipinos Have of Coming Out to Their Parents

Keeping your family life and your personal life completely separate from one another is a reality LGBT Filipinos know all too well (especially if you haven't come out yet and especially after being raised in a culture that is so steeped in religion and tradition), and a new commercial from telecommunication company Smart perfectly nails the struggle of not being able to mix the two worlds. 

The clip, entitled "Break down barriers and welcome change!," showcases what happens when a young, gay, Pinoy urbanite gets a Facebook friend request from his father, and ignores it because he hasn't come out yet and he's afraid of what he'll think when he sees pictures of him with his boyfriend. Later in the video, during a typical family meal, the man's father confronts his son, asking him why he hasn't accepted his friend request yet. The anxious look on the the man's face is one that is all too relatable. 

Speaking from experience, it's hard growing up Filipino and queer. Because of the deep, Roman Catholic roots and the patriarchal, heteronormative values that pervade the culture, it can be really scary to acknowledge any side of your self that is seen as non-traditional. It's easier to keep your sexuality a secret from your family than it is to come out to them and then possibly bring them shame, so it's completely understandable that something so seemingly innocuous as a friend request can be met with fear and apprehension.

But luckily for the gay man in the commercial, his father seems to be breaking the mold and creating a narrative that many young, queer Pinoys who grew up in conservative households probably won't be able to ever experience — he's accepting. 

Smart's ad ends on a touching note, with the man texting his father to let him know he has accepted his friend request and his father texting him back to tell him that he, in turn, has accepted his sexuality. "Welcome change" is the ultimate message in Smart's inclusive commercial, and it's one that we can all agree on.

Watch the emotional commercial in the video below.

h/t: Mashable