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Gay Men Donate Blood (Gay Man Upset Blood Bank Won't Take His Blood)
WSVN-TV ^

Posted on 10/17/2005 4:23:05 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat

Will and his partner are like a well-oiled machine when it comes to making their morning coffee.

Will, wanted to donate blood: We never had a fight. Never had one fight.

They have been in a monogamous relationship for five years and recently the couple was moved by the images of the devastation left behind by hurricane Katrina.

Will: I went to donate blood, because I felt like I needed to do something for the hurricane victims.

But before will could even roll up his sleeves, he was told his blood was unwanted. The reason - it wasn't because he was sick or had visited a third world country. Instead, it was because he honestly answered the blood center's survey.

Will: They gave me a questionnaire to fill out and one of the questions was have you ever had sex with a man since 1977. Of course I answered yes.

And with that, Will was told it's perfectly acceptable to be an openly gay man, just not a gay blood donor.

Will: I was turned down because I was gay. I was told that was why I could not donate blood.

For Will, it makes no sense. He feels in this time of need, his blood should be tested before it's turned down. Not to mention, all men and women - regardless of sexual preference - pose a risk. Now, Will says denying his donation is just wrong.

Will: I was in shock more than anything. I just couldn't believe it.

Employees at South Florida's blood centers say Will's not the only one complaining.

Will: A couple of calls from people, particularly those that are in monogamous homosexual relationships, questioning the policy.

But the decision to prohibit only gay men - not gay women - from giving blood comes from the federal government not local blood centers. The food and drug administration has banned gay men from donating since 1983, during the height of the Aids scare.

Will: I know this particular policy has been reviewed in recent years, and there's a push to review it again.

You can count will as one of the people hoping to revise the rule.

Will: It's outdated. I really feel the FDA needs to revisit this law and join us in the new millennium.

Especially in a day and age where there are constant shortages of blood. Will believes it's time to recognize gay men as an untapped resource.

Will: A high population of homosexuals wants to donate blood are safe and monogamous.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: aids; blood; blooddonation; cdc; civilrights; demented; denial; disease; diseasevector; gaycancer; gays; gaystoppo; health; hiv; hivaids; homosexualagenda; perverts; pervs; reallygross; riverinegypt; sickos; vector; vectorcontrol; welloiled
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To: Recovering_Democrat

"Will and his partner are like a well-oiled machine when it comes to making their morning coffee."

I bet that's not the only thing oiled up...


61 posted on 10/18/2005 8:07:30 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper
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To: SmoothTalker

"How is it russian roulette if the blood is tested and comes out clean?"

There's an incubation period. It can look clean, and a few weeks later, boom!


62 posted on 10/18/2005 8:13:36 AM PDT by toddlintown (Your papers please.)
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To: SmoothTalker
The tests don't catch 100% of the diseases... although the test for HIV is very effective. The donor screening, however, is a useful tool for eliminating potential risk.

You have to look at things from the patient's perspective. An injured or ill patient needing a transfusion needs to feel safe agreeing to the procedure. The patient may be in an emotional, vulnerable state and need reassurance. Donor screening gives at least the appearance of added safety.

I needed 2 units of blood in 1987 after an ectopic pregnancy, and I really agonized over the decision. If I had refused, I might have died.

If someone has been turned down as a blood donor for whatever reason, there are certainly other ways to contribute in the community. Donor screening does not exist to humiliate or discriminate -- it exists to protect patients and give them confidence in the system.

63 posted on 10/18/2005 8:15:08 AM PDT by Chanticleer (Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. Lewis)
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To: Recovering_Democrat
Will believes it's time to recognize gay men as an untapped resource.

Oh, I think they've been tapped plenty.

64 posted on 10/18/2005 8:16:14 AM PDT by Terabitten (God grant me the strength to live a life worthy of those who have gone before me.)
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To: dawn53
I have MS, and I can't donate...even though there is no reason to believe that MS is a blood borne disease.

I can't donate simply because I spent time in the Balkans. There's no evidence that my blood is tainted whatsoever, just the suspicion that it *might* be.

Will needs to get over it.

65 posted on 10/18/2005 8:18:10 AM PDT by Terabitten (God grant me the strength to live a life worthy of those who have gone before me.)
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To: gondramB
I was actually looking at it from the point of supply chain disruption - having to keep the blood from all different races separate would add complexity and exacerbate shortages... not to mention many people are mixed race.

A valid point. The automatic gainsaying of any discrimination is just one of my hotbuttons.

66 posted on 10/18/2005 8:36:19 AM PDT by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: Chanticleer

The blood should be collected and then disposed of without telling anyone. I think thousands of gallons of blood are discarded monthly just because it is outdated. Just dump it out, then the activist have nothing to holler about, which is exactly what they are looking for.


67 posted on 10/18/2005 8:47:47 AM PDT by phil1750 (Love like you've never been hurt;Dance like nobody's watching;PRAY like it's your last prayer)
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To: Recovering_Democrat
I have the solution to Will's dilemma...

Take the donation...

Put Will's blood in a pink package, clearly marked and indicating where it came from...

Get written permission from any recipient who wants to use it...

When the blood goes over the expiration date, throw it away!

This whole thing is crazy. It's just another drama queen homosexual trying to impose his values and beliefs on unsuspecting members of decent society.

68 posted on 10/18/2005 9:09:04 AM PDT by Gritty ("Western Progressives see warfare as something the bullying Pentagon does to weak victims-Mark Steyn)
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To: John O

" A valid point. The automatic gainsaying of any discrimination is just one of my hotbuttons."

That's a natural reaction when a large segment of the population seems to live to evidence of discrimination.


69 posted on 10/18/2005 9:39:21 AM PDT by gondramB (Conservatism is a positive doctrine. Reactionaryism is a negative doctrine.)
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To: Recovering_Democrat
because I felt like I needed to do something for the hurricane victims.

So make a monetary donation, dumbass.

70 posted on 10/18/2005 9:42:00 AM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: CalvaryJohn

"untapped resources" is another dirty picture.


71 posted on 10/18/2005 9:51:20 AM PDT by Old Professer (Fix the problem, not the blame!)
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To: Experiment 6-2-6

To some people all discrimination is wrong, even if by discrimination we mean good judgement.


72 posted on 10/18/2005 9:56:49 AM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: xjcsa

The post was verbatim from the link; I checked it thinking a sloppy transcription was responsible for the egegious grammar.

At the link on the site for background on the reporter, there are also errors in spelling and grammar.


73 posted on 10/18/2005 9:57:06 AM PDT by Old Professer (Fix the problem, not the blame!)
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To: Recovering_Democrat

I lost a friend and coworker to AIDS. Seems the blood that he got during open heart surgery was bad.


74 posted on 10/18/2005 10:02:18 AM PDT by TASMANIANRED (Conservatives are from earth. Liberals are from Uranus.)
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To: Recovering_Democrat
Was Channel 7 the station that employed Bill Kamal?

For those that don't know who Bill Kamal is, he used to be the weatherman for WUSA in Washington, DC. He moved from Washington to Miami.

He was arrested in Miami about a year or so ago. For soliciting sex from a minor boy. He is, I think, currently doing time in Florida.

75 posted on 10/18/2005 10:08:03 AM PDT by Michael Bluth
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To: DirtyHarryY2K

The single biggest reason the other catagory is so small is the no blood donation policy for 20 years.


76 posted on 10/18/2005 10:11:19 AM PDT by TASMANIANRED (Conservatives are from earth. Liberals are from Uranus.)
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To: SmoothTalker

Think piece.

Unit of blood used to cost about $230.

Included in the cost is the phlebotomist, storage, and a bunch of testing for diseases plus blood typing and looking for antigens.

The cost of blood will have to go up dramatically if gays are allowed to donate.

Why?

The cost of every unit that is tested and discarded will be added into the cost of a unit of good blood.


77 posted on 10/18/2005 10:17:41 AM PDT by TASMANIANRED (Conservatives are from earth. Liberals are from Uranus.)
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To: phil1750

Appeasement is not the answer.


78 posted on 10/18/2005 10:20:15 AM PDT by TASMANIANRED (Conservatives are from earth. Liberals are from Uranus.)
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To: Old Professer

Yeah I noticed it on the link, although I didn't see the reporter's page. Apparenly just a sloppy site.


79 posted on 10/18/2005 10:22:44 AM PDT by xjcsa (The Kyoto Protocol is about as futile as sending seven maids with seven mops to rid a beach of sand)
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To: Gritty

Better than that.

Let them start the Gay Blood Network...if somebody want gay blood they can sign a release from indemnity from the hospital and doctors.


Can anybody say Air America.


80 posted on 10/18/2005 10:22:49 AM PDT by TASMANIANRED (Conservatives are from earth. Liberals are from Uranus.)
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