Brooks Nader may have already had her moment in the Dancing with the Stars ballroom, but now it’s her sister Sarah Jane Nader’s turn to take the stage … with new pro, Hailey Bills.
Sarah Jane and Hailey are only the second all-female pairing in the show’s history. So, the Love Thy Nader star’s ballroom debut carries a deep meaning beyond.
As an openly queer woman, SJ understands the significance of being part of an all-female partnership on one of television’s longest-running competition shows. Sarah Jane says she feels “a lot of pressure” to represent the LGBTQ+ community, but she also sees the platform as an opportunity to provide the kind of visibility she lacked growing up.
“I literally never saw a queer person on my screen until I was probably 19,” she told PEOPLE. “I love being from Louisiana, but there was not a lot of queer representation, and it wasn’t something that was celebrated at all.”
For Sarah Jane, the impact of seeing two women dance together on DWTS would have gone far beyond the ballroom. “Seeing two girls dance on TV would’ve changed my journey.”
Now, she has the opportunity to potentially make that same impact for someone else watching at home. “This is such a staple in so many American homes. So to put that on so many screens is such a beautiful opportunity, and I do not take it lightly, the responsibility.”
Dancing with the Stars returns with a two-night premiere on Tuesday and Wednesday on ABC and Disney+. Episodes will stream the following day on Hulu.
