Exclusive: "Dancing With the Stars" honchos open to same-sex teams on the show

On the April 1 elimination show of ABC’s blockbuster reality competition, Dancing with the Stars, the judges chose Steve Guttenberg, star of Police Academy and Three Men and a Baby, for a repeat dance. But Guttenberg wasn’t partnered with Anna Trebunskaya, his teammate for the season. Instead he danced a cheek-to-cheek tango with her husband, DWTS dancer Jonathan Roberts – a tango they had briefly practiced earlier in the week when Trebunskaya fell too ill to rehearse.

Was the televised “Mango” a trial balloon being sent up by DWTS executive producer Conrad Green? Are Green and ABC contemplating a same-sex dance team for a season of DWTS? Was this an opportunity to judge audience response? (For the record: the audience LOVED it.)

Cut to late January, and AfterElton.com’s interview with Green for our insanely informative (if we don't say so ourselves) 2-part investigative report, "Gays in Primetime". At the time, we asked Green: Would they consider a same-sex partner dance team for DWTS? Green found the idea “interesting,” saying he was “open to it.” And straight-shooting ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson responded affirmatively to the notion, as well: “Yeah. I think there’s no reason not to.”

In fact, Green seemed to be working through the idea for the first time in our interview:

“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.”

Ruminating on the concept, Green continued, “But having said all that: it’s an interesting thought. It would make quite a statement in a way. I’m sort of open to it, but curious about the implications of it.” Green twice repeated the phrase “it’s interesting” as he turned the idea over.

At the time Green said it was “impossible to know” whether a same-sex dance team would be thrilling for the audience – or a distraction. And he seemed concerned that it might be seen as a mere publicity ploy: “I’m sure we would be accused of doing it just for the sake of a stunt.”

But as Green continued, during our conversation, to think through the notion of having a same-sex team on his competition, he decided the focus would become what it is with all the teams: the dancing. And that if the “stunt” accusation did come up, “Well no, it’s actually just showing that anyone can dance,” said Green, “which has always been our (motto.) And I think by the end of it, it would become normalized.”

Green has had out gay celebrities on Strictly Come Dancing - the UK version of the show - and has invited gay celebrities on for DWTS (they’ve declined.) And gay participants are always paired with opposite sex partners, Green pointing out that in competitive Ballroom Dancing certainly gay men dance with female partners all the time. (ya think?)

But back to that same-sex couple thing: Did Green get the answers he needed on April 1? In a Jimmy Kimmel Live interview, Guttenberg confessed that he himself shrewdly predicted success: “The truth is, I knew it’d be entertaining.”

But for such a pairing to be a hit for an entire season, you’d have to have just the right “star” to pull it off. At AfterElton.com we humbly suggest one of the most entertaining people on the planet: Ellen Degeneres. Or considering the success great athletes have had on Dancing: How about four-time Olympic diving champion and proud gay man, Greg Louganis? We know Greg’s got the moves. Plus - we can show this hot pic of him in his speedo:

Now go check out "Gays in Primetime" for more hot tips!