Queerness is a deviation from averages, that's all. Asking about deviations from averages is something curious people do.
Furthermore, this nurse is a fictional character and his sexual orientation is part of his character (whether he's important or not). Asking questions about fictional characters is not an affront to the queer community. In fact, asking whether a fictional person is gay can sometimes just be an effort to understand the thinking of the character's creators. Perhaps the question was asked to get a sense of how forward-thinking the producers might be.
Would it have bothered you less if the question had been phrased differently? How about "Do you think the male nurse was straight or gay?" The implication and the intention is exactly the same; inquiring about someone's sexuality implies that there is reason to wonder whether that person's sexuality deviates from the average. There's nothing inherently offensive about questions like this. If you're curious about a person's personal background, this is the kind of thing you wonder about.
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Date: 2010-01-14 04:01 pm (UTC)Furthermore, this nurse is a fictional character and his sexual orientation is part of his character (whether he's important or not). Asking questions about fictional characters is not an affront to the queer community. In fact, asking whether a fictional person is gay can sometimes just be an effort to understand the thinking of the character's creators. Perhaps the question was asked to get a sense of how forward-thinking the producers might be.
Would it have bothered you less if the question had been phrased differently? How about "Do you think the male nurse was straight or gay?" The implication and the intention is exactly the same; inquiring about someone's sexuality implies that there is reason to wonder whether that person's sexuality deviates from the average. There's nothing inherently offensive about questions like this. If you're curious about a person's personal background, this is the kind of thing you wonder about.