One thing that has been discussed in ER circles (ok, between me, a friend and a few others) is how the writers have used both Kim and Sandy in different ways, to signify different things about Kerry. Kim was used heavily by the writers to show Kerry\rquote s process of realisation that she was a lesbian, and as such had very little interaction with other members of staff during this phase of Kerry's 'life' mid season seven.
Kim was portrayed as very femme - long hair, well groomed, etc. Yes, it's a stereotype, but that is after all what most TV shows play on: instantly recognizable 'types' of people. The entire way Kim was set up pointed to her as a lady - Kerry commenting on her beauty, her well-kept house, a well ordered professional life and a caring, therefore typically feminine job as a psychiatrist, where her job is to listen to and therefore diagnose, people's problems. This in turn showed that Kerry fell in love with something that all of us would find attractive - there was very clearly a caring core to Kim, and it was this, rather than Kim as a representative of all women, that Kerry fell in love with. This thus enabled the writers to hold off from defining Kerry absolutely as a lesbian until the narrative required it - it could always be claimed that she fell in love with a person, not a gender. After all, even straight women can see the attraction of Elizabeth Mitchell.
This set-up enabled us to see that Kerry did not identify as a lesbian before Kim - it was only after she'd fallen for Kim that she realised that she actually had these feelings for women and has subsequently been able to identify as a lesbian and come out at work. This was the only way this would have worked for Kerry - to move from 'friendship' to a realization of love, occurring when Kim kissed her. Before this point, Kerry did consider Kim 'just a good friend' , as the possibility of being in love with a woman just hadn't occurred to her. However, once this was opened up to her as a possibility, by Kim, she was able to embrace it, and with it her sexuality.
Move on a few months to Sandy. Here we see someone, who although undeniably beautiful, the writers are trying to cast as butch with, it has to be said, limited success. Her work as a fire fighter, her tough attitude and her more masculine apartment are clearly attempts by TPTB to cast her in a more butch light, to show Kerry's evolution. It would have been much harder to 'spot' Kim as a lesbian, if she hadn't have been so open about her sexuality, than Sandy, who would probably set off most peoples gaydar. This has been used to show Kerry's increasing acceptance of her sexuality -she meets someone who 'codes' as a lesbian, and asks her out. Kerry initiates the relationship, and as such shows that she's a 'grown up' lesbian. Move this on to her readiness to bring Sandy along to meet the gang, in "The Letter", and we can see how the writers have used both Sandy Lopez and Kim Legaspi to signify the stages in Kerry's realisation, acceptance and integration of her lesbianism. Now that\rquote s sorted out, can we maybe get a believable love interest (tip to writers: Elizabeth Mitchell) and some really effective, hard-hitting, non-anvil filled storylines for Chicago's Chief Lesbian.