H and Matt: Why this evangelical Christian sees no cause for offence

Since it was first announced that Steps singer Ian ‘H’ Watkins had been paired with professional ice dancer Matt Evers there’s been an array of reactions. Ranging from those hailing it as a triumph for the LGBTQ+ community to those dismissing it as nothing more than a publicity stunt with the potential to damage impressionable young viewers. Most of those against such a partnership have argued “Two men skating together? It’s just wrong!” Is it?

                In 1995 aged eleven I attended the newly opened Newcastle arena to watch Disney on Ice, accompanied by my Bible-believing, church-attending mother. I was skate mad and would have loved nothing more than a trip to Florida, but that was never to be. Here was my chance to see Mickey, Donald and co. up close. And that I did. All of Walt’s classic characters skating together. All of them. Duck skating with mouse, dog with mermaid, male, female. Was my pre-pubescent, hormone-riddle brain corrupted? Hardly! Twenty-five years later I can still recall gasping with excitement and awe in the drafty arena as Donald and Mickey spiralled away in front of me.

Others have argued that while they have nothing against two gents skating together in general, they are dancing as a couple. Romance and ice dance being irrevocably connected. Tell that to two-time Olympic bronze medallist and three-time world champions, Alex and Mai Shibutani (brother and sister). Head judge Christopher Dean was himself married to Olympic silver medallist and world champion Isabelle Duchesnay who spent her carrier skating alongside her brother Paul. Yes there may have been many memorably romantic routines across the years but it’s certainly not the only way to the top.

Like many girls, I was as a child often made to  dance with female classmates and I had to be ‘the boy’(lead) during dance lessons in PE (phys ed). Was this wrong? No. I’m 5”8 and have been since about the age of twelve, therefore as the taller one I was best placed to lead. For the same reason when H and Matt began training together it quickly became apparent that as the taller and the stronger one, it made sense for Matt to take the lead. Matt has spent his entire career being the lead and carrying out the lifts, would if then be fair to ask him to switch roles without expecting the other pros to do the same?

The fact H won’t be carrying out lifts while the other male celebrities will, has also been raised by those seeking to prove he’s been given an easy ride. Yet by and large none of the female celebrities will carry out such moves. Instead, they’ll have to master being lifted, moving whilst being held aloft and landing smoothly. All the things H is learning. Last year, matt was partnered with Gemma Collins who he couldn’t lift, so he didn’t lift her. In 2012 Lisa Riley appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, memorably catching Robin Windsor at the end of one routine. Why? Because her partner, a professional dancer wasn’t strong enough to catch her. The fact H can’t lift Matt says nothing of his skating. Is Jayne Torvill any less of a fantastic skater for not being able to carry Christopher Dean across the ice?

In week 3 viewers saw Matt and H rehearsing in a dance studio with wall-to-ceiling mirrors. Why? Because the judges had picked up on the increase in side-by-side skating in their routines and wanted more synchronicity. Being lifted across the ice hides a multitude of sins (you may remember Chris complaining that Lucrezia spent a third of her routine in the air). Skating beside your professional partner, attempting to replicate their moves precisely, and in synch highlights them. I challenge anyone reading this to go back and watch each couples dances to date and compare how little time H spends in the air or in hold.

For those still not convinced and claiming disapproval on Biblical grounds, here’s some theological numbers for you. In the ESV (English Standard Translation) of The Bible, the word ‘homosexual’ or ‘homosexuality’ appears just twice. Whilst there’s nineteen references to dancing. Not ones of these references overlaps and perhaps Psalm 150 verse 4a best sums up the book’s attitude “Praise him with tambourine and dance”. God loves a boogie!

A friend who is himself a member of the LGBTQ+ community commented “I wish they hadn’t put the two gays together though”. His point being that they could have put two men together regardless of their sexuality. Whilst yes, this may have silenced some of the detractors, H has stated he was explicit in his agreeing to appear being on the condition he was given a male partner. Okay, so why partner him with Matt then? I think Matt was always the right choice, regardless whether his partner was gay, Bi, trans, non-binary or other. With Dan Whiston now taking on the role of creative director, Matt is now the only professional to have taken part in every series of the show bringing with him an unrivalled depth of experience choreographing routines to fit his partner’s physical needs and personalities as well as skating abilities  and had a small part (Skate Tree) in cult skate film Blades of Glory itself dealing with a male-male skate partnership which has provided a host of gifs now in use in response to Matt and H’s partnership.

First and foremost Matt and H are two people skating together. They’re not asking anyone to judge whether they’d make a good couple, only the quality of their routines and skating. When their partnership was announced, I’ll admit I was a bit worried. Worried it would be distracting. If anything, I think it’s made each of them perform better. I love seeing celebrities skate on their own and at a decent pace. Matt and H have done this in spades. Is H the best skater on the show? Not yet, but with a quarter of Matt’s partners to date reaching the final, there’s no reason he shouldn’t. And as my friend said, I’d like to see two guys skating together because they’ve been matched on height and nothing else but sadly I think we may still be a way off that yet.