Same-sex dancing, with the stars?

(Image courtesy ABC)

"Dancing with the Stars" has been dancing around the same-sex partner question this season. Are they gearing up for a gay danceoff -- and should they be?

Is it weird that Ellen and Portia can get married, but on "DTWS," same-sex dancing's still played for laughs?

It started with the Gute.

At the beginning of this season of "Dancing with the Stars," Steve Guttenberg and Jonathan Roberts danced a tango together when Steve's partner (and Roberts' wife) Anna Trebunskaya was too sick to perform.

When asked if the show should let same-sex couples dance in competition, he said, "Sure. There are plenty of same-sex marriages going on."

It got me thinking: Was "Dancing with the Stars" gearing audiences up for a same-sex couple? Though producers have reportedly asked Lance Bass and Ellen DeGeneres to compete, an out gay celebrity has never appeared on the show.

Last week, "DWTS" showed even more man-man action: In his annual visit to the semifinalists, Head Judge Len Goodman danced with all three celebs, including Jason and Cristian.

I got a kick out of seeing Len looking way, way up into Jason's eyes, and Cristian asking Len if he was "the girl" was kind of cute. But the segment had its really weird vibe, bookended with a James Bond theme, where Len underscored his straightness.

Which made me think: Why don't we ever see out gay judge Bruno Tonioli dance? Why don't the male ballroom pros ever talk about being gay? (We hear enough about married straight guys like Roberts, after all.)

(Image: Getty) When asked about same-sex dancing, Tonioli told AfterElton, "That would be fantastic, but I think that they should do -- they should do a special. It would be great to do a special, because it would probably be unfair with the others. They’d probably be fantastic. They’d probably get so much attention, but it would be great to do like a special, boy/boy and girl/girl. Can you imagine?"

Hmm. I've never known reality TV to shy away from attention. In an earlier interview, AfterElton posed the same question to "DTWS" exec producer Conrad Green, who replied,

"I wouldn't be against it (same-sex partners on the show) in principle. But I think where the difficulty comes, is we try to duplicate the real competition rules. … However we are an entertainment show so we are not necessarily bound by that. It's not something we'd have to adhere to; it's something we tend to adhere to. The other thing is you’d have to make sure that the dancer felt comfortable with it. And what I wouldn't want to do is let it turn into a circus, if you see what I mean. If it would just look silly and feel like a stunt."

Meanwhile, those sneaky folks over at Bravo's "Step It Up and Dance" have been taking it to the next level: Two weeks ago, they schemed a dance scenario about lovers testing out mattresses. They paired the gay boys with girls and the straight boys with each other. The results were awkward, and funny -- and actually kind of hot.

So here's the question: Is it time to break the rules of the ballroom, which require gay ballroom pros to dance with women all the time? Are we ready for same-sex dancing that's not just a straight-guy joke?

Here's a thought: Instead of a kid-dancing competition during the results show next season, how about one with the out and very athletic participants in DanceSport?

(DanceSport image: Getty)

Take our poll and tell us what you think. And tell us who you're rooting for in the finale!

PS: A great random nugget from the AfterElton Tonioli interview: Did you realize that Bruno was the scantily clad valet in Elton John's "I'm Still Standing" video? Check it out.

Originally posted by Julie Ross Godar

Comments

[Greg of San Diego]

Critstian is like the Hottest guy ever! He can do the 6 Legged Tripod Tangle with me anytime. I want my man to look like him.

[Rui Qi Ni]

A long-time dancer, I see nothing wrong with two guys dancing. They do it all of the time at gay bars; however, ballroom dancing may provide a different story. But disco or any other dancing style where the two partners are free to shadow each other or to dance independently seems quite acceptable. I'm quite confident that any other dance style will work out just fine.

[Rui Qi Ni]

A long-time dancer, I see nothing wrong with two guys dancing. They do it all of the time at gay bars; however, ballroom dancing may provide a different story. But disco or any other dancing style where the two partners are free to shadow each other or to dance independently seems quite acceptable. I'm quite confident that any other dance style will work out just fine.

[chatphonegay]

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todo gratuito y sin restricciones

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un abrazo para todos .

[chatphonegay]

solo paso para presentarles una nueva comunidad gay y lesbica de habla hispana que surge con la intencion de darles un espacio libre abierto y gratuito a los usuarios del ambito
todo gratuito y sin restricciones

Empeza Ahora!

http://www.chatphonegay.com
un abrazo para todos .

[Ron H.]

Regarding the question "Why don't the male ballroom pros ever talk about being gay?" Here's a radical thought: perhaps it's because none of them are. Are you assuming they must be gay because they are dancers? I know it comes as a shock to some people but a guy can be a dancer AND a tried and true hetero. I think the assumption of homosexuality with regard to the DWTS male pros is falling into the same stereotyping that would earn our condemnation if it was posted on a "straight" website. I'm also loathe to obsess on the sexual orientation of every person I see on my television set. I guess I have other things to worry about.

Of course, take a five minute research trip on the Internet and you can see for yourself. Looking at this season's male pros: Fabian Sanchez has a wife, Mark Ballas is straight (linked romantically with last season's celeb Sabrina Bryan), Derek Hough is by all accounts straight, Tony Davoloni has a wife and daughter, Jonathan Roberts is married to fellow DWTS pro Anna Trebunskaya (which would account for hearing about their relationship frequently...they are both on the show) and here is an interview quote from Louis Van Amstel: "In the old days, if you're dancing, they would ask, 'Are you gay?' " Van Amstel said. "Now it's the opposite. If you want to meet nice girls, pretty girls, go ballroom dancing." You can draw your own conclusions from that one.

I have been a fan of DWTS since season one. I kind of like that it is a total escape and apolitical. The show is not out to hurt anyone nor is it designed to take a stand on current social issues. It exists in a happy, sequined, spray-tanned bubble. While I would not object to a same sex couple on the show, I have no desire to have them add one just for the sake of doing so. I'm also not sure how fair it would be when considering the rules and logistical realities of ballroom dance.

At the end of the day, I guess I don't have a need to boil everything down to "gay or straight" when it comes to entertainment. I am not a gay TV viewer who has to see gay people out and about on every single series I watch. Believe me, if you are a fan of ABC's scripted series, getting your gay fix is really easy. DWTS is the show that got me off my butt and into a dance studio...something I had wanted to do my whole life. That's why I love the show and why it is important to me.

[Dr.Tom]

I was so surprised the blonde male dancer was straight. Who but a Power Bottom can move their ass like he does ??? Shannon Elizabeth, his so called GF, is so fragile she would fall apart if he unleashed that bottom energy on her..The show looks very gay so surely they know it and should just let it take its natural course.

[Ron H.]

Wow, DR. TOM...how gratifying that gross stereotyping is not the exclusive property of homophobes. Ignorance really is a two way street...at least where you are concerned.

[RFH]

At the Gay Games they have same-sex ballroom dancing using the same rules as any other ballroom dancing. Sometimes they switch the lead dancer depending on the dance. It's really very good.

[Mirtha]

Hi Julie,

Love the post on same sex partners for DWS. If you haven't already done so check out the DWS Starter Kit at http://abc.go.com/player/?channel=125571.

The kits get you all caught up on for the new season of Dancing with the Stars and I'm sure gay.com readers will love love love them. Let me know what you think and if you'd be interested in posting the videos on the blog!

~M

[Dani]

Lance Bass is sooooo going to win! That boy can move.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkaTp1UIVE0