Homosexuals Challenge Ban on Blood Donations

CNS News ^ | October 3, 2005 | Patrick Goodenough

[Millee]

A Red Cross division in Australia will be forced to defend its refusal to accept blood donations from homosexuals after a statutory anti-discrimination body agreed to take up a legal complaint.

Michael Cain wants the state of Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Commission to find that the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) acted in a discriminatory manner when it refused to take blood from him because he was a sexually active homosexual.

Cain's lawyers argue that by refusing to accept blood from Cain, the ARCBS contravened anti-discrimination legislation passed in Tasmania in 1998.

The law says "a person must not discriminate against another person on the ground of sexual orientation [or] lawful sexual activity."

In a statement about his experience, Cain said he was filling out forms ahead of donating blood when he came to one which asked: "Have you engaged in male-to-male sex in the last 12 months?"

"At this point I felt that I was being personally violated in a way. I couldn't believe that they were asking about sex let alone singling out male-to-male sex when people could easily lie anyway. I answered truthfully."

A Red Cross staffer subsequently told him he could not donate blood, explaining that "gay men have a higher risk of carrying contaminated blood due to unsafe sexual practices."

Cain was upset that he was not given the opportunity to have his blood tested, which he said would have proved that he did not have HIV/AIDS.

"If all blood is tested, there is no reason why I too should not be given the opportunity to prove that I have healthy blood. I resent the fact that I am not allowed to help people in need."

According to its eligibility guidelines, the ARCBS declines any request to donate blood if the prospective donor has, in the previous 12 months, had "male to male sex."

But it will also not take blood within 12 months of other activities considered to increase the level of risk - including a person having had a tattoo, a blood transfusion, a body piercing, been in prison, had sex with a prostitute or having had a partner with hepatitis B or C.

In some cases, such as when a person has injected drugs not prescribed by a doctor, the ARCBS will permanently not accept blood.

In their legal brief, Cain's lawyers said that the ARCBS may try to point out that it is not acting in a discriminatory manner because it also won't take blood in other instances, such as from a person who has been a prison inmate or staffer within the past year.

But there is an important distinction, they argue - "gay men cannot and do not choose to be gay."

'Disincentive'

In a recent speech, Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group campaigner Rodney Croome attacked the blood donation policy.

"The current gay blood ban says that no matter how careful gay and bisexual men are in guarding themselves from infection, there is still something inherently risky in a man making love to another man," he said.

"This prompts gay and bisexual men to ask, if safe sex isn't good enough to protect public health, is it good enough protect my own health. When it comes to public policy, could there be any greater disincentive for gay and bisexual men to bother with sex safe?"

Peter Stokes, executive director of a Christian ethical action group Salt Shakers, called the case "yet another politically orchestrated attempt to force society to ignore all the clear and undeniable health risks associated with the homosexual lifestyle using a undemocratic government body [the anti-discrimination commission]."

Rather than the ARCBS having to justify its policy, Stokes said he believed the ban should be extended to "all people who engage in promiscuous sexual activity, not just homosexuals."

"This is not about discrimination. This is about \lang3081 discerning what is right and wrong for the majority of Australians according to the evidence," he said, adding that more than 80 percent of HIV/AIDS infections in Australia arise from men having sex with men.

Croome argued in a statement that countries like Spain, Switzerland and Italy have lifted prohibitions on accepting blood donations from homosexuals.

He made no reference to the situation in the U.S., however, where American Red Cross eligibility guidelines appear to be considerably stricter than those in Australia which are now being challenged.

"You should not give blood if you have AIDS or have ever had a positive HIV test, or if you have done something that puts you at risk for becoming infected with HIV," they say.

"You are at risk for getting infected if you ... are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977."

[roylene]

Huh! Whats the reason for that?
I can not donate blood because I was diagnosed with cancer eighteen years ago.

[LongElegantLegs]

This is amusing...I was excluded from a blood drive because of a recent tattoo, and was happy as could be! I thought about getting another just to avoid the next years' blood drive.

[Sometimes A River]

Does the policy specifically exclude homosexuals?

Or just people who have had anal sex...

There is a difference.

[KC_for_Freedom]

They know the truth but act as if they live in denial

I believe you just identified the entire left wing movement. The concept they live by is that socialism would be better for the greatest number. Of course since they see this they should be part of the leadership, not the poor slogs living a subsistance life on the government dole. They must have seen that capitalism works in every human culture and socialism needs a dictator to even be tried. But still they believe they can do better than capitalism. The whole multiculturalism movement is part of the "lets go socialism" movement and homosexuality is riding the bandwagon. My position is that homosexualism would be wiped out in a generation if a vaccine were developed that would prevent it. They are going to lose on this issue, and they should know it. But their democratic/socialist masters tell them to keep on hoping that maybe we will all live together in a world where sexual activity is normal no matter what or with whom it is done.

[little jeremiah]

Homosexual Agenda Ping.

There have been some mutterings about this in the US as well. Is it psychosis, or what? AIDS dementia, or just plain Evil with a capital E?

(I'm busy the next couple of days so won't be pinging much - but had to get this one out.)

Freepmail me AND DirtyHarryY2K if you want on/off this pinglist. He be busy right now with sporadic elec.)

[Gay State Conservative]

Fine...take the blood...label it as having come from a high risk individual and stipulate,publicly,that it will only go to homosexuals.Problem solved.

[ImpotentRage]

Let gays donate, but keep their blood donations within the gay community.

[DK Zimmerman]

Reference your comment (#2) concerning public health. Oncet upon a time, public health concerns mattered. Folks with deadly communicable diseases weren't allowed into the country or if already "in" were quarantined and those with whom they had come in contact were notified.

But all that is a thing of the past, partially due to PC concerns and AIDS.

[patriot_wes]

"Homosexuals Challenge Ban on Blood Donation"

C'mon kids, all they want to do is spread it around a little. Personally I think anyone carrying a deadly disease which can be spread through contact should be quarantined!

[little jeremiah]

The policy excludes "men who have had sex with men".

And since the vast majority of them have anal sodomy, there is really no difference. People can get AIDS from oral sodomy as well.

[JoJo Gunn]

There was an article somewhere that some gays are contracting HIV on purpose as a show of solidarity with their infected brethren.

It's called "bug chasing", and it's very real, despite their protestations to the contrary.

[IchBinEinBerliner]

There is no test for variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (Mad Cow in People), so to be safe they assume that we got it if we lived there for more than 6 months.


"At this time, the American Red Cross donor eligibility rules related to variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease are as follows:

You are not eligible to donate if:
From January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1996, you spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 3 months or more, in the United Kingdom (UK), or

From January 1, 1980, to present, you had a blood transfusion in any country(ies) in the (UK). The UK includes any of the countries listed below.

Channel Islands
England
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Isle of Man
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wales
You were a member of the of the U.S. military, a civilian military employee, or a dependent of a member of the U.S. military who spent a total time of 6 months on or associated with a military base in any of the following areas during the specified time frames

From 1980 through 1990 - Belgium, the Netherlands (Holland), or Germany
From 1980 through 1996 - Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy or Greece.
You spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 5 years or more from January 1, 1980, to present, in any combination of country(ies) in Europe, including

in the UK from 1980 through 1996 as listed in above
on or associated with military bases as described above, and
in other countries in Europe as listed below:
Albania
Austria
Montenegro (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
Belgium
Bosnia/Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Norway
Poland
Czech Republic
Denmark
Romania
Finland
France
Slovak Republic (Slovakia)
Germany
Greece
Spain
Hungary
Ireland (Republic of)
Italy
Kosovo (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Netherlands (Holland)
Portugal
Serbia (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Yugoslavia (Federal Republic includes Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia)"

[Sometimes A River]

I agree, but the policy technically is not discriminatory against homosexuals.

Once again, the homofascist lobby demands special protections solely based on where they choose to put their penises.

[little jeremiah]

I agree. But it's even more than special protections, it's a special elevated status.

[Doc Savage]

Since HIV does not cause AIDS and AIDS is NOT a sexually transmitted disease, who really cares. On the other hand homosexuals who abuse amyl nitrite and narcotics to support their abberrant lifestyle are a repository of hepatitis B and std's. So who would want their blood anyway?

[r9etb]

Since HIV does not cause AIDS and AIDS is NOT a sexually transmitted disease, who really cares.

Tell that to Arthur Ashe. Oh, wait, you can't....

[isrul]

They only do that to fight biological bigotry. How can we argue with that?

[John O]

Cain was upset that he was not given the opportunity to have his blood tested, which he said would have proved that he did not have HIV/AIDS.

Unless of course he was exposed in the last week or so in which case the test may not pick it up but the receiver of the blood/blood products would be just as dead

But there is an important distinction, they argue - "gay men cannot and do not choose to be gay."

But so called 'gay' men can and do choose who they have sex with.

"The current gay blood ban says that no matter how careful gay and bisexual men are in guarding themselves from infection, there is still something inherently risky in a man making love to another man," he said.

Guess what? the current policy is correct. There IS something inherently risky in perverse sex

"When it comes to public policy, could there be any greater disincentive for gay and bisexual men to bother with sex safe?"

How about staying alive?

Rather than the ARCBS having to justify its policy, Stokes said he believed the ban should be extended to "all people who engage in promiscuous sexual activity, not just homosexuals."

This is the only thing here I agree with

Croome argued in a statement that countries like Spain, Switzerland and Italy have lifted prohibitions on accepting blood donations from homosexuals.

If europe goes swimming in the cesspool does that mean we should too? What moronic 6th grade reasoning this guy shows

[John O]

My position is that homosexualism would be wiped out in a generation if a vaccine were developed that would prevent it.

Sorry but you are wrong. Homosexuality is a mental disease caused by trauma or abuse. Stop the molestation of children and rebuild the family (one man married to one woman with their children) and the incidence of this perversion will decrease greatly

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Cain was upset that he was not given the opportunity to have his blood tested, which he said would have proved that he did not have HIV/AIDS.

Blood has to be tested for a lot more than just HIV. Another poorly written article supporting the homosexual cause.