British Ice Skating will now allow same-sex partners to competehttps://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/12/british-ice-skating-will-now-allow-same-partners-to-compete/ 🔗Faefyx Collington (26 Dec 2025)
British Ice Skating (BIS), which regulates official ice skating competitions in the United Kingdom, has announced that same-sex pairs will be eligible to compete in couples competitions, starting with the qualifying rounds in March 2026. The change opens the door for more diverse representation, moves away from outdated norms, and may reduce the barrier to entry for some trans and nonbinary participants.
"We are pleased to inform you of several upcoming changes for the 2026/27 season," BIS announced. "These updates follow recent reviews across all disciplines and reflect our continued commitment to supporting skater development, performance pathways, and fair access to competition... Same-sex couples will now be permitted to compete in all events, including at the Championships."
The move makes the United Kingdom only the third country to allow same-sex ice dancing couples to compete in championships. Skate Canada made its nation the first in 2022, when the rules were changed to allow any two skaters, regardless of gender, to partner.
Finland followed suit earlier this year, amending its rules under pressure from Millie Colling, a British ice dancer who moved to Finland at the age of 6, and Emma Aalto, with the support of their coach.
However, same-sex partners still face limitations in competitions. The new BIS rules allow them to compete all the way to the national level, but the International Skating Union (ISU), which governs international competition, still requires ice dancing pairs to be composed of one man and one woman.
