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Homosexuals Challenge Ban on Blood Donations
CNS News ^ | October 3, 2005 | Patrick Goodenough

Posted on 10/03/2005 8:38:48 AM PDT by 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."


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: homosexualagenda
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I wonder how many gays (if being honest) would want to receive blood from a gay man. I sure as heck wouldn't.
1 posted on 10/03/2005 8:38:50 AM PDT by Millee
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To: Millee

Public health and safety should not be sacrificed for political correctness.


2 posted on 10/03/2005 8:40:47 AM PDT by Unam Sanctam
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To: Millee

Wannabe blood donor Cain added, "Am I my brother's keeper?"


3 posted on 10/03/2005 8:40:50 AM PDT by headsonpikes (The Liberal Party of Canada are not b*stards - b*stards have mothers!)
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To: Millee

I donate three to four times a year to Red Cross blood drives. I'd move to one of the community based drives if Red Cross caves.


4 posted on 10/03/2005 8:41:30 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Troubled by NOLA looting ? You ain't seen nothing yet.)
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To: Millee

Hey fags keep your blood to yourselves. Along with your Johnsons.


5 posted on 10/03/2005 8:43:23 AM PDT by JackDanielsOldNo7 (If it wasn't for marriage, I would not have this screenname.)
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To: Millee

Gays were hoping that AIDS would have ceased being a predominately gay disease after so many decades. This should help mainstream it into the population as a whole.


6 posted on 10/03/2005 8:46:40 AM PDT by laotzu
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To: Millee

With the gay community it has overwhelmingly been about legitimization of their lifestyle. Anything that cast a negative doubt on their lifestyle MUST be eliminated from the public square so as to facilitate the "Image" of normalcy for their lifestyle in the eyes of the public at large which does not look at it the same way they do.


7 posted on 10/03/2005 8:51:03 AM PDT by ICE-FLYER (God bless and keep the United States of America)
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To: Millee
could there be any greater disincentive for gay and bisexual men to bother with safe sex?

Well, yes ... if they've already got AIDS, why bother with safe sex. Otherwise this statement doesn't make any sense to me.

8 posted on 10/03/2005 9:00:46 AM PDT by layman (Card Carrying Infidel)
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To: laotzu
Ouch!

They just hate being treated like, well, lepers.

Never mind that AIDS is fairly associated with homosexuality, and that it was bisexuals and drug users who "helped" AIDS break out into the general population.

9 posted on 10/03/2005 9:02:24 AM PDT by lentulusgracchus ("Whatever." -- sinkspur)
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To: ICE-FLYER; scripter; little jeremiah; EdReform

Concurring BTTT.


10 posted on 10/03/2005 9:03:56 AM PDT by lentulusgracchus ("Whatever." -- sinkspur)
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To: layman

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

As for this article, a gay person does not have to donate blood to assist the red cross. A simple donation or volunteering would suffice.


11 posted on 10/03/2005 9:03:56 AM PDT by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: ICE-FLYER
With the gay community it has overwhelmingly been about legitimization of their lifestyle

And when homosexuality got thrown into the PC and "diversity" platform they got a big boost. Lets face it, we cannot be a true multicultural society unless we become an "anything goes" society. Now if thats what we want, then of course we should mix a little homosexual blood into the blood pool. In fact, a true multiculturalist would want the blood mixed with all donated blood before it could be given to anyone. I hope this is one of the last gasps of the PC movement. It has to be killed now.

12 posted on 10/03/2005 9:07:29 AM PDT by KC_for_Freedom (Sailing the highways of America, and loving it.)
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To: KC_for_Freedom

Your point is well taken. The thing that amazes me is the denial of fact by the homosexuals themselves and the pro-homosexual left which would deny the facts of health risks to make their PC agenda go forward. And I know full well how some of them would run like a scalded dog away from blood from gays were they to have an operation and need it. They know the truth but act as if they live in denial of it because to them world view and agenda is much more powerful and right than common sense truth and facts supporting that truth.


13 posted on 10/03/2005 9:14:48 AM PDT by ICE-FLYER (God bless and keep the United States of America)
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To: headsonpikes

You are when you could possibly poison people Mr. Cain.


14 posted on 10/03/2005 9:17:26 AM PDT by massgopguy (massgopguy)
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To: Millee

People donating blood are discriminated against for a whole host of reasons. This guy needs a real life.


15 posted on 10/03/2005 9:18:43 AM PDT by roylene
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To: massgopguy

There was a study in NYC for Gay Men who belived they were were HIV/AIDS negative. I recall 500-1000 subjects volunteered. 75% of them were positive and didn't know it. The impetus for the study was the resurgence of "unsafe" sex in the gay community. Mr. Cain, blood is a valuable asset in lifesaving. Intentionaly delaying that life saving by 75% should be a crime.


16 posted on 10/03/2005 9:21:45 AM PDT by massgopguy (massgopguy)
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Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: Unam Sanctam

Exactly.
I work for The Red Cross..
ANYONE who engages in risky behavior will be declined...
Period.
I am sick to death of this PC garbage.
We also refuse (temporarily)people who travel to malaria risk areas..
What next?
Are the tourists going to sue?
Yeesh
Ms.B


18 posted on 10/03/2005 9:28:36 AM PDT by MS.BEHAVIN (Women who behave rarely make history)
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To: roylene

The Red Cross won't take my blood because I lived in Germany for longer than 6 months between 1980 and 1990.


19 posted on 10/03/2005 9:36:15 AM PDT by IchBinEinBerliner
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To: Millee

Why can't they start the "Gay Blood Donation Foundation?" I know, because nobody (including gays) would want the blood...


20 posted on 10/03/2005 9:41:19 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - They want to die for Islam, and we want to kill them.)
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