SYTYCD: Gays Get in on the Competition

This week, on top of Ellen DeGeneres taking up a gavel on American Idol and George Takei prepping to play The Newlywed Game, gay producer-director-choreographer Adam Shankman (left) was appointed to judge the new season of So You Think You Can Dance. Shankman, who is behind such tours de force as Prop 8: The Musical and Hairspray (the movie) joins curmudgeonly Nigel Lythgoe and the always fever-pitched Mary Murphy on the panel when the Top 20 performances premiere next month.

The show famously got the full GLADD shakedown last spring after Lythgoe dissed " 'Brokeback' ballroom" when same-sex samba partners auditioned for the show. But on Wednesday night he apparently changed his mind: dancers Jason and Willem De Vries gave an emotional audition that caused Lythgoe to quip "Thank you for showing me that same-sex ballroom dancing can be very strong and very good," and send them on to the next round.

It's gearing up to be a very gay season indeed!

Previously >The Newlywed Game Goes Gay

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