The BBC is a traditional station and male/female dance partnerships is the traditional form of dance, I don't see why they should change that just to pander to the pc brigade, it would look weird and would make a lot of people uncomfortable, which BBC doesn't want, so it's better to stick to tradition and offend nobody than change it and offend a whole lot of people.

I'm a fag for a start and even if I wasn't, it wouldn't be homophobic.

Yes it would. "tradition" is an excuse to be homophobic, the same way "tradition" was used to support slavery and again during apartheid

Like Jonathan said, dancing isn't about sexuality, it's about dance, if you start sticking same sex partnerships together just because one of them is gay, then it is about sexuality and to me that would be more harmful than good, like 'look at that queer having dance with a man because he's not man enough to dance with a woman' it's a ridiculous notion, one that's coming from a place of people wanting to turn everything into all rainbows and glitter, it's not needed, Strictly is doing fine and the multitude of gay people that have been on there have done well (questionably) with female partners, it's a complete non issue and it's just a load of fuss being made about nothing.

'Gay rights' is a brilliant motion and it's made amazing moves in the last decade, but it comes a time where it becomes too much and it starts to become annoying, we have marriage, we have rights, the world is much more accepting to lgbt people in general these days, why push it and shove it down people's throats?

When you call a gay person Homophobic, it just makes you look stupid. It's not homophobic at all. He's not saying GAY PEOPLE SHOULD NEVER DANCE TOGETHER EVER!!!!! or GAY PEOPLE ARE AWFUL AND SHOULD DIE!!! He's just stating his opinion about traditional dancing.

I'm on the fence. I don't see why they can't just let a gay couple on... I'm sure it will happen soon enough though.

Exactly... I don't know what more people can want. We are so lucky to live in a place where we can't be stoned to death for being who we are. What more could we want?

I don't see it as a big deal.

I'd be happy to watch a same-sex couple compete. I found it brilliant that in one of the international versions, two females won the show dancing together.

But I don't see it as homophobic either.

I fail to see anything homophobic about it, they arent having sex, they arent having a relationship, nor are they portraying one.

Homophobia would be discriminating against someone because of their sexuality, not refusing them special priviliges. The participants DANCE together, sexuality has nothing to do with that.

If it were a dating show i might concede the point that provision should be made for people representing their own particular sexual niche. But it isnt a dating show, its a dance show and should be neutral with regard to such matters.

Turn this on its head for a minute, if sexuality is at the core of dancing, does that mean all those mixed sex couples are in some form of sexual relationships? Should we then push the show past the watershed for all that (hetero)sexual activity we are exposing our children to?

Or are they just dancing?

How many of the male professionals have been homosexual over the series? Lots. They danced with female partners... didn't seem to be an issue for them.

This exact thing

If they're comfortable with female partners then that's good for them. I feel like banning same-sex couples would just be a bit heteronormative tbh.