I'm at a loss.

What's offensive about asking if Tim is gay?

Is it that the implication is that Gillard may herself be lesbian, as Anne Summers (bless 'er, dear old thing) suggested? If so, what's the insult? We have openly lesbian people at all levels, including the inner cabinet in Penny Wong. Is Gillard saying it's offemsive to imply she may be a lesbian? What does she have against lesbians?

Or is it that the idea that people might think Tim is gay is offensive? What does Gillard have against homosexuals?

Just remembered: was in Howard's electorate late one polling day.
Howard had made a last minute flying visit to thank his support staff.

No sooner had he disembarked than a group a eight young men from an opposing booth were straight-up in his face--screaming and spitting abuse -- it looked and sounded like a pack of baboons on the African savannah trying to eject a lion from their territory

In terms of raw aggression I have never seen anything like it before or since --but of course, that was all fair play!

Oh come back John Howard. How Parliament has sunk since naive people voted you out after 13 years of dignity. Most of them now very much regret it. Oakshott takes the cake in his long boring promise to make this Government open and accountable.

Some posters really do have nothing serious to worry about. I don't give a hoot if the PM is a woman or a man but I draw the line at a mere female & a mere male.
Julia Gillard is not disliked because she is female with a huge degree of incompetence as Kevin Rudd is an incompetent male.
It shows that even the highest office in the land is for any selfish git to get. It really is an equal society from that viewpoint.
Julia Gillard & Kevin Rudd were ousted because they couldn't manage & that has cost many decent Australians their livelihood & half their sanity. The stress that these two leaders have handed out to their fellow citizens is simply unacceptable.
If Gillard & Rudd were competent they'd still be in business. They're out because they can't manage. How much simpler an explanation do some mutts need ?

Fatist, racist, genderist, sex etc. jokes one may tell or find funny privately is irrelevant. This is about the public treatment of the Prime-Minister of Australia.

The public questions on sexuality in Gillard's private relationship, by a shock-jock thinking they were gender questions and relevant to current public debate, were highly impertinant and disrespectful to Gillard personally and to the position she holds.

How some posters here can attempt to mitigate this behaviour by dubiously equating it to past events or jokes about the traits of certain politicians, makes for sad observation.

This is about the public treatment of the Prime-Minister of Australia.
luciferase,
Yes you are right, it is but when the person occupying that office is worse than the school kids then what do you expect. The reason why our young are so disrespectful is because people like the PM & her supporting hangers-on academic do-gooders have taken away parents' rights to deal with their own children. Now that it is biting them in ar$e they scream blue murder. If you don't want people to be a pain in our butt you'll need to take the first step & butt out of their lives. Talk about reap what you sow.