Gay Austrian TV host Alfons Haider, who announced back in January that he'd be dancing with a male partner in that country's version of Dancing with the Stars, has been the topic of much discussion since hitting the dance floor on TV.

This weekend he danced the Cha-Cha-Cha to a rendition of "Respect" with his 23-year-old pro dance partner Vadim Garbuzov.

According to Austria's Oe24.at, there's quite a bit of controversy surrounding his decision. In a poll, 44% of Austrians support Haider's choice to dance with a man, while 42% oppose it. Women are more favorable toward the couplings.

Back when Haider made his decision, he told press: "I am going to dance with a heterosexual. This is not about being gay. I do not want my appearance on the show to be reduced to homosexuality. This is about the show, about entertainment. I am not the gay Joan of Arc."

Haider, you may recall, was said to provide the inspiration for Sacha Baron Cohen's tv reporter character Bruno.

Watch Haider , AFTER THE JUMP…