Gender Roles in Dance

Apparently people have their panties in a twist because of Dancing with the Stars.

Now, we all know I'm like the most pro-LGBT person out there.  Go team Gay!

But... I'm not liking the fuss that is being made about Chaz Bono and Carson Kressley.  And let me tell you why.

Ballroom Dance, like Ballet is based on tradition.  In many cases, the dances performed today are the same that were performed last century, and the century before that.  Ballet has roles.  The women in the pointe shoes, the guys in slippers.  Women in the dresses and guys in the tights with the package bulge.  Now, there are cases where the guys also wear the dresses, but that's more a decision of a particular company than a trend of the art form.

Ballroom is primarily a competition dance.  There's a rule book.  Those rules and standards require there to be a male and female.  Two guys in tuxes won't really cut it.

And this is not to say that there aren't gay dancers.  We all know that there are more than our fair share of gay male dancers.  But they all know what they are signing up for.

Now, as for Carson, I suspect he expected to be dancing with a woman.  He knew what he was getting into.

And Chaz dancing with a man would be an insult.  Chaz worked very hard to become a man.  Having him then dance with another man, in my opinion, is insulting.

I'm not saying that fooling with the gender roles is against nature, or against god, or against the rules of prime time TV!  Far from it.  There were successful same sex pairings on So You Think You Can Dance, pairings that weren't gimmicky.  That were about rel relationships and feelings.  I don't feel that same sex pairings on Dancing with the Stars would feel as natural.  It's too far outside the dance style.

So.... Go Team Gay!!  But.... on DWTS, I believe guys should dance with girls.