Judge Nigel Lythgoe makes his homophobia plain on last night’s premiere of “So You Think You Can Dance” when two male dancers, one gay, one straight, performed together.

“I think you’d probably alienate a lot of our audience. We’ve always had the guys dance together on the show but they’ve never really done it in each other’s arms before. I’m really one of those people that like to see guys be guys and girls be girls on stage. I don’t think I liked it, to be frank.”

Watch the segment below:

AfterElton spoke with one of the dancers after the audition:

“It was more offensive than what they showed. Nigel said that he’s not sure that the fathers watching this at home would be encouraged to take their sons to allow them to learn to dance. Nigel told me that they [the show] has spent all these seasons trying to build up the idea that a male can dance and make it more acceptable, and we didn’t really help the cause. I told him that I have a father, too, and I went through that. I told him that the country is already going through a lot of changes and could handle some more. Nigel didn’t say anything to that. The judges kept going on about a man and a woman and I kept correcting them that it was a leader and a follower. “

Fellow judges Mary Murphy and Sonya Tayeh were also confused how the feminine roles changed throughout the routine.

UPDATE: Nigel Lythgoe responds to the controversy via Twitter:

I hear I’m taking a beating on the web due to my comments regarding same sex ballroom I thought I was the most accepting of it on the panel?

The same sex ballroom guys did remind me of “Blades of Glory.” However, I’m not a fan of ‘Brokeback’ Ballroom.

I am very sad the word ‘homophobe’ is being used. That is someone who hates homosexuals. I dislike effeminate dancing! Wake up and listen!

I believe overtly effeminate dancing destroys the opportunity for many male dancers to be supported. Being gay doesn’t mean effeminate.

We have had same sex dancing on SYTYCD from Season 1. Last year Joshua and Twitch. Before that MIa’s Prince’s routine with Danny and Neil.

I am passionate about dancers and dancing. I am not interested in their sexual preferences only their dancing and performances. Offstage ??

It’s a shame that controversy has blurred the true inspiration from last night, Tiffany Giegle.

For a total lack of homophobia from a dance show, watch Quest Crew channel Britney Spears on America’s Dance crew. Their judges didn’t seem to have a problem with their gender-bending performance.

The third and final leg of of the 20th GLAAD Media Awards was held in San Francisco last night hosted by Chelsea Handler. Awards were given for Outstanding Television Movie, Outstanding Reality Program and Outstanding TV Journalism. Chad Allen, Dustin Lance Black, and filmmakers Geoff Callan and Mike Shaw were also honored. The following is a complete list of the awards presented and photos taken from the red carpet.

• Davidson/Valentini Award: Chad Allen

• Special Recognition: Dustin Lance Black

• Special Recognition: Geoff Callan and Mike Shaw

• Outstanding Television Movie: East Side Story (Logo)

• Outstanding Reality Program: TIE: I Want to Work for Diddy (VH1) and Transamerican Love Story (Logo)

• Outstanding TV Journalism – Newsmagazine: “Funding the Marriage War”
  In the Life (PBS)

[slidepress gallery=’glaad-awards-2009′]
Photos by Inside, Looking Out.

A break from your regularly scheduled programming…

When the pretty faces of the new Star Trek film were announced last year this Trekker (not Trekkie….HUGE difference) was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread. First, that the corpse of the franchise was not sufficiently cold, and it was far too soon to extract its Katra from the ashes that were the last seasons of Voyager, Enterprise, and the most recent films. I also feared that the old fans would be hung out to dry, as this new youthful and nubile crew cavorted across the stars in some slicked up hotrod of a starship with a license plate reading NCC-90210. Perhaps a more apt name for this new chapter in the Star Trek universe would be something more along the lines of Dawson’s Trek or One True Klingon.

The early trailers did nothing to soothe the sinking feeling that this film would be a total disaster. Was the young James Tiberius Kirk going to be just as smart-alecky and untalented as the young Anakin Skywalker? You mean the Enterprise wasn’t constructed in space dock? Why is Kirk hitting on and bedding Uhura instead of an Orion slave woman, and coming off like some out-of-work extra whose last credit was American Pie 7? What is this?! A Michael Bay movie? Jerry Bruckheimer? All action with absolutely no redeeming dramatic qualities whatsoever?

But packed into the desperate mess were glimmers of hope. The casting of Zachary Quinto as Spock seemed spot on. Karl Urban who plays Dr. McCoy reminds me very much of the ship’s Chief Medical Officer, his eyes belying that same southern mischief. The effects of course look top notch, even if they do seem over the top. It’s nice that Captain Christopher Pike makes an appearance. And I’m understandably curious about the early years of Mr. Spock, especially when the first Pon Farr kicks in. But the characters of Kirk, Chekov and Sulu have seemed woefully miscast since the beginning.

So now the opening of Star Trek is almost upon us the and the dread is finally beginning to ease. Perhaps this is the much needed shot of cordrazine the franchise needed. The reviews are trickling in and they are frankly stellar. General consensus thus far is that there’s plenty of meat to gnaw on for both old and new fans. Chris Pine may have been the right choice for Kirk after all—jury’s still out for me on Sulu, Checkov and Scotty however.

I am also beginning to think that this new Star Trek universe may be more gay-friendly then those of the past. I don’t mean to say that the previous incarnations of the show were homophobic, just that there were plenty of missed opportunities to showcase tolerance, one of the bedrock themes of the original series.

And nor do I mean gay-friendly just on the eyes (I never said the male leads weren’t cute). But this new installment takes its cues from the next generation of moviegoers, who may be more comfortable with the idea of two male ensigns ducking into a jeffries tube for a quick smooch. Hopefully that is something we can look forward to in the inevitable sequels.

In case you’ve been stuck away on a boring away mission and haven’t seen a trailer, I feel the condensed TV spot below is the best of the lot…

I’ll be taking a shuttle (I hate getting scrambled in a transporter beam) over to the movie theater on Saturday. Until then… Live Long and Prosper.

Bea Arthur has lost a long battle with cancer at 86. An icon in the gay community, she is famous for her stage, television and film roles, but is best known for her work as the title character in the 70s sitcom Maude and later as one of the Golden Girls.

Some of my favorite clips below…

History of the World Part I (2 minutes in)

From the show Maude:

From the show The Golden Girls:

Rest in peace Bea. You will be missed.