Should Gay People Be Subjected To This Kind Of Questioning?

[sp1814]

Is this worse than the PC re-write of 'Dad' to 'Partner'?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/13/passport-official-suspended-gay-man-interrogation

Should gay people accept that their sexual orientation makes them fair game for this? Or is this another example of 'PC gone mad'?

[gness]

Hi, Sp.....only when it is acceptable for them to have to ask me if I have ever had sex with a woman and if my children are "confused" by my family should gay people be subjected to this....x

[woofgang]

Well I am straight and i would be peeved as hell if I was subjected to that kind of questioning. Assuming that the report is correct, the officer in question should be sacked.

[gness]

Although.....I would relish having to regale her to the point of chewing her hand off with stories of why my children have always been confused by my family.....☺

[Baldric]

gness, does anyone really deserve that?

[gness]

Yes, Baldric......today it's BT!.....I'd email them with tales...if I could.... :-(

[DrFilth]

jason bourne must have spent 6 months of his life getting all his passports

[kvalidir]

That is truly awful, mind you at least they've suspended her ;/

[sp1814]

One of the startling features of this story is the insensitivity shown to the child. If these questions *had* to be asked (and I'm not sure that they do), common sense and respect would surely dictate a degree of discretion?!

[gness]

Reading through it, Sp....she appears to have only been interested in abusing her power and humiliating another person...would she have cared about a child? I don't think so.

A less serious incident.....I gave birth to my first a year after I married. I know I did look much younger than I was but didn't expect the nurse taking my details in the labour ward to ask the date of my marriage... no doubt hoping for it to be less than nine months past....though why it interested her????

I replied that I'd tell her if she could assure me it would make labour easier or benefit my treatment....x

[andy-hughes]

It is clearly an abuse of position, and designed entirely to make the gentleman concerned feel uncomfortable.

The fact that interviewer made it clear that a refusal to respond would directly affect the application is nothing short of bullying.

I hope this dreadful woman is dismissed, as an example to all other employees to ensure that they remain withint the boundaries of their remit.

[naomi24]

No one should be subjected to that kind of questioning. It would be interesting to know what questions a straight person in similar circumstances would be required to answer.

[mikey4444]

Dreadful...the woman wants sacking.

[Old_Geezer]

Taken at face value it sounds unacceptable and is probably why it is being reported, the interrogator suspended and a disciplinary investigation under way. But this would be a one off or at least rare incident.

[mikey4444]

But how do we know OG ? These people have absolute power. How do we know that this kind of behaviour hasn't gone on before ?

[Old_Geezer]

Because complaints would be made and it would be reported. One can not keep these sorts of things quiet, regardless what the conspiracy theorists tell you ;-)

[sp1814]

Old_Geezer

I understand your point, and perhaps the fact that this has made the papers is an indication of how extreme the story is, and how unacceptable it is to many.

But equally, I'm not convinced that societal bullying is all that rare (depends on the publications you read).

[ToraToraTora]

yes deadful, I agree. I'm unclear though as to what relevance sexual orientation has when applying for a passport. Not withstanding this evil c0w, is there any validity to this line of questioning?

[pixie373]

Absolutely not. She has been suspended, so at least it has been shown to be unacceptable. A nasty individual, rather than official policy- not that that would make him feel any better.

[askyourgran]

I would have demanded to see her manager. It was no business of hers to ask so many personal questions, and nothing to do with issuing a passport. I hope the idiot woman is down-graded.