As the new season of Sparks Camp began earlier this month, not only are there 10 new campers trying to find love but there are 10 new stories coming from them.
In an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN, the campers explained the importance of having a platform like Sparks Camp to show the representation of the LGBTQIA+ Community in the mainstream media.
The fourth season of Sparks Camp has 10 participants–– Tommy, Jury, Gio, E.J., Michael, Joaquin, Beej, Ian, Taku, and Howie.
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For Ian, being part of the show means a lot to her as she expressed how important it still is to educate those who are unfamiliar with terms. She shared how important it is for someone like her to feel represented in a dating show.
“Kailangan ng representation because kailangan nating i-educate pa yung mga taong hindi pa masyadong marunong sa mga bagay about sexuality or our SOGIESC. So sobrang laking bagay na makakita sila ng mga tulad ko at tulad namin na iba't ibang klase ng mga tao sa TV para mapakita nila na hindi lang hindi lang linear ang meron, hindi lang babae at lalaki ang meron sa mundong ito,” Ian expressed.
Tommy then shared how viewers who watch queer shows such as Sparks Camp could help them feel empowered as they could see someone representing them in the mainstream media. As an actor, he stressed that there are people out there that are just looking for someone that they can relate to.
“I want to, you know, be up there too and it's a great representation and it helps shape your identity when you're growing up,” Tommy maintained.
Michael recalled how he never had someone to look up to on television when he was growing up. For him, he admitted how helpful it would’ve been if he saw the representation that they try to show in Sparks Camp.
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“If I saw someone who I can relate to, who I would aspire to become and being in Sparks Camp parang I think I would be able to do that to a lot of people. I would want to be a representation of something that doesn't really get represented in the media,” Michael admitted.
Sparks Camp season 4 is currently streaming exclusively on iWant and is still hosted by Mela Habijan. Catch the latest episodes of the queer reality dating show and follow the stories of all the campers by downloading and signing up for iWant.