‘Dancing With The Stars’ Earns 2022 GLAAD Media Awards Nomination
ABC/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 2 minutes
Dancing With The Stars Season 30 is nominated for Outstanding Reality Program at the 33rd annual GLAAD Media Awards. The milestone season is being recognized by the organization for their efforts to advance visibility among the LGBTQ+ community.
Fans were shocked this past season when JoJo Siwa was cast to dance with Jenna Johnson. The star came out to the public in the beginning of 2021 through a series of posts on her Instagram as well as her TikTok to nearly 30 million followers.
Joining Dancing With The Stars was a big deal for Siwa. When Johnson and Siwa were paired together, this marked the first time there was a same-sex dance couple on the show.
The dancing duo dominated the ballroom floor from their first dance. During the season premiere, the duo had the highest score after dancing the quickstep. They brought excitement and heart to their dances. Siwa often acknowledged how important representation was and how much she loved breaking down barriers. The pair ended up finishing in second place.
This is the second nomination for Dancing With The Stars. The show was first nominated and won back in 2012 when openly gay tennis pro, Martina Navratilova, competed.
‘Dancing With The Stars’ and LGBTQ+ Representation
Spectators are happy for their favorite dance competition show. Fans continue to post the rainbow flag under DWTS‘s Instagram page, showing their support for the show and the LGBTQ+ community.
The annual GLAAD Media Awards recognizes and honors the media who promotes fair, accurate, and inclusive representations for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
Past contestants as well as celebrities applauded Dancing With The Stars for their progressive stance during Season 30. The show’s decision was a hit. In fact, the latest season was the only ABC show that showed growth in key demographics, with the finale drawing in close to 6 million viewers.
Siwa’s historic season was one to remember. However Dancing With The Stars has also featured openly gay and transgender contestants in the past. Chaz Bono, Lance Bass, and Carson Kressley have all Fox-trotted across the dance floor, vying for the mirror ball trophy.
