Ban on same-sex dance partners, a step too far?

A proposal to stop single-sex partnerships from competing against 'traditional' ballroom dancing couples in the UK is retrograde, says Laura Thompson.

The British Dance Council finds itself in the eye of a rather surprising storm. This hitherto blameless organization, which devises and oversees the rules for ballroom dancing in the United Kingdom, is considering a proposal to ban same-sex partnerships from competing against "traditional" couples. The revised rule would stipulate, in a somewhat biblical manner, that a couple should comprise "one man and one lady".

Bryan Allen, president of the BDC, explains very cogently that there is "no discrimination at all". It is simply that all-male partnerships have a possible advantage, in strength and athleticism, when competing against male-female couples.