I recently gave blood at my local Red Cross. To do so, you have to read through a several-page handbook on eligibility requirements, get a blood test to ensure high enough hemoglobin levels, and take a computerized test.
One of the questions in the test is
Have you ever had sex with another man, even once, since 1977?
If the answer to that question is yes, you are ineligible to donate. Sex is defined as oral-genital, anal-genital or oral-anal contact, effectively excluding all gay men over the age of 20, and many below that age [edited].
This is incredibly offensive. I don't even know where to begin. OK, that's not true. It's offensive for several reasons.
Homosexual activity is no more risky than any other type, when done safely. I could understand-it wouldn't be so homophobic-if it was unprotected sex, if it was applied to any other type of sex, if it was applied to any unsafe sex, if it wasn’t a LIFETIME BAN from donating. There are tests for HIV, and the Red Cross actually runs those tests on every pint of donated blood. There is no reason not to accept donated blood from people who are responsible about sex, no matter their orientation, and every reason to reject the blood of those who are unsafe about sex, no matter their orientation.
This harkens back to the name of AIDS in the 1970s-GRID, or Gay-Related Immunodeficiency Disorder. AIDS is not a terrible gay disease. It may have started in the gay community, but AIDS is now 'just' a terrible disease. The Red Cross needs to understand this, and stop excluding willing donors.
The Red Cross policy is here
Crossposted at amplifyyourvoice.org