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Blood-Filled Sculpture Protests FDA Ban on Gay Blood Donations
CNSNews.com ^ | June 25, 2015 | Kathleen Brown

Posted on 06/28/2015 5:48:20 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

(CNSNews.com) -- The American University Museum in Washington, D.C. will host an art exhibition this fall that protests the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) current ban on blood donations from men who have had sex with other men (MSM).

The museum says the exhibit, entitled “Blood Mirror", will feature a “powerful sculpture created from the blood of 9 gay men." 

Viewers of the sculpture will be able to see themselves reflected on the surface of the encased blood.

Gay artist Jordan Eagles said in a press release that he preserved the blood within a seven-foot-tall monolith to show “that this blood could have been used to save lives.”

The American University Museum told CNSNews.com that Eagles was not paid for the sculpture, and that government monies are not funding the upcoming exhibit.

Volunteer blood donors for the sculpture include an 88-year-old gay priest, a transgender male couple, an Army captain discharged from service under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” an identical gay twin, a bisexual father, and three gay rights activists.  

“Each man is currently ineligible to donate blood under the FDA's current policy -- but since they cannot donate their blood to save lives, they've chosen to donate their blood for art,” the press release states.

"This discriminatory policy is part of our gay history and part of our nation's history, and the sculpture asks us to reflect on discrimination in our country, as well as the homophobia that exists around the world,” Eagles continued.

The exhibit will also include a short film by Leo Herrera, who said the sculpture “represents homophobia so deep that it infected science itself and spawned a fear of our most precious fluids.”

The FDA’s policy banning blood donations from sexually active gay men was established at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in 1983 “and is not based on any judgment concerning the donor's sexual orientation,” the FDA states.

Rather, men who have had sex with men are prevented from donating blood because of their increased risk of HIV, Hepatitis B, and other infections which can be transmitted through blood transfusion, the agency explains.

“Current scientific data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that, as a group, men who have sex with other men are at a higher risk for transmitting infectious diseases or HIV than are individuals in other risk categories.”

On May 13, the FDA proposed a new policy that would allow men who have abstained from sex with other men for 12 months to donate blood.

“In 2010, male-to-male sexual contact accounted for 63% of newly diagnosed HIV infections among adults, and 78% of newly diagnosed HIV infections in men, indicating that male-to-male sexual contact remains associated with high risk of HIV exposure,” the FDA  noted.

The agency added that “sufficient data are not available to assess the effectiveness of selecting MSM with low HIV risk based on deferral times of less than one year since last exposure…

“Additionally, the available epidemiologic data in the published literature do not support the concept that MSM who report mutual monogamy with a partner or who report routine use of safe sex practices are at low risk for HIV.”

However, since no such celibacy restrictions exist for heterosexual donors, Eagles and Herrera called it an “equally flawed proposed revision.”

According to the press release, issued during the public comment period for the new FDA proposal, “the sculpture will inspire dialogue about the FDA’s discriminatory policy.”

“The FDA is taking a bold step. There’s been a discriminatory policy in place and a change is, in fact, happening. It’s historic, but it doesn’t do enough, and it’s not actually fair. How many gay men do I know that are actually going to be celibate for 12 months? Gay men that I know that are married, that are monogamous with each other?” said Eagles in Herrera’s film.

“What actually seemed like something that was a step in the right direction -- [I] sat with it for a while and actually felt like this was even worse. Here we are in 2015 and we have all this medicine and science at our disposal, and this is the best that they could do?”

Eagles said his work “will never be finished until the FDA’s blood donation policy is fair for all people.” 


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: badart; blood; fda; hiv; homosexualagenda
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To: Jumper
90+ percent of all AIDS and 75% percent of syphilis is in the male gay community.

Like all libs, they want to share it with everyone. That's only fair, right?

41 posted on 06/28/2015 6:37:22 PM PDT by bgill ( CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: MortMan

I managed to donate three pints, but then I had Hodgkin’s disease and had to battle that. I’m basically cured, but I’m banned from donating blood for life.


42 posted on 06/28/2015 6:56:40 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Cancer-free since 1988! US out of UN! UN out of US!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Up until the AIDS Epidemic, Doctors treating any Sexually Transmitted Diseases had to report it to the local Health Department.

As soon as that happened, and it became clear that AIDS was Primarily impacting the Gay Population, things became Political and many People died as a result of not treating AIDS as an STD requiring Reporting of the Carriers.

The Gay Community fought reporting AIDS cases to the Health Department, not wanting to be Stigmatized or making up whatever myriad of excuses to make them feel better.

Then they went as far as blaming President Reagan for letting it happen. I’ve met People who still think that was true today.

Just when you think People can’t be that Dense, they surprise you.


43 posted on 06/28/2015 6:58:48 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Erections have Consequences, just ask Obama's Parents. Oh wait, they're Dead.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The museum says the exhibit, entitled “Blood Mirror", will feature a “powerful sculpture created from the blood of 9 gay men."

I've got a better title.


44 posted on 06/28/2015 7:21:49 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows (My music: http://hopalongginsberg.com/ | Facebook: Hopalong X Ginsberg | Instagram: hopalonginsberg)
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To: cradle of freedom

and more demands:

Should We Lower the Age of Consent to Protect Teenagers? (Nov. 18 2013)
Slate ^ | Nov. 18 2013 | Amanda Hess
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3305231/posts


45 posted on 06/28/2015 7:26:59 PM PDT by a fool in paradise ("Psychopathia Sexualis, I'm in love with a horse that comes from Dallas" - Lenny Bruce (1958))
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
So, did they have posters of Ryan White there to prove what an excellent idea this is?

GD faggots..............

46 posted on 06/28/2015 8:03:59 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: TribalPrincess2U

Recently got a blood type test kit to check the wife who had no idea. Lucky for both of us, we are the usual O+, so no need for faggot blood is one of us is not torn up.


47 posted on 06/28/2015 8:07:42 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Omg...I went to school in France Gordon a semester in 1994, I think...and I, a straight woman married for 25 years can not give blood?. I think I would have shown signs of mad cow disease by now.

My husband would ,make a joke about now... and I would be mad. ;)


48 posted on 06/28/2015 8:13:53 PM PDT by proud American in Canada (May God bless the United States of America.)
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To: MortMan

Please see my earLher post... forgot to add that I ‘m an O negative
Too.

Please forgive the typos.. on son’s tablet...auto correct


49 posted on 06/28/2015 8:24:01 PM PDT by proud American in Canada (May God bless the United States of America.)
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To: TribalPrincess2U

Faggies want unlimited rights to infect the public blood supply, and yet I am forever banned from donating blood because I was stationed in Germany in the 1980’s.

Anyone out there really afraid of contracting Mad Cow disease from a transfusion? OBTW, I gave blood regularly and past 9-11 but wasn’t banned until 2002.

Faggies are the 2% exerting despotic rule over the 98%. Disgusting!


50 posted on 06/28/2015 8:29:03 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
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To: proud American in Canada

1984 actually
....


51 posted on 06/28/2015 8:57:50 PM PDT by proud American in Canada (May God bless the United States of America.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

This isn’t art - its criminally dangerous.


52 posted on 06/28/2015 9:50:44 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: GeronL

Seriously? Got a link to that info?


53 posted on 06/28/2015 10:26:14 PM PDT by NetAddicted (Just looking)
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To: Jumper

75% of Syphillus is in the SSAD community? I read that 50% of homosexuals will have HIV by age 50, but they don’t care, because everybody’s predicting an HIV vaccine within 2 years.


54 posted on 06/28/2015 10:30:21 PM PDT by NetAddicted (Just looking)
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To: NetAddicted

A booklet they hand out, its a PDF on their website,

“Healthy, Happy & Hot” (healthy is strange since its about youths with HIV)

It absolutely tells them they have a right to sex without telling their partner about their HIV-AIDS status

http://www.ippf.org/resource/Healthy-Happy-and-Hot-young-peoples-guide-rights


55 posted on 06/28/2015 10:30:42 PM PDT by GeronL
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To: DemforBush

A way for them to get HIV tested, without paying. I read 1 out of 8 don’t even know they’re infected.


56 posted on 06/28/2015 10:36:24 PM PDT by NetAddicted (Just looking)
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To: GeronL

OMG! And the government hasn’t told them to stop? Totally unbelievable. I know homosexuals expect an HIV vaccine within two years, but it doesn’t exist now. HIV causes premature aging & dementia & cardiovascular problems. That’s all I know off the top of my head, plus $1000 per month for PReP, the medicine that stops transmission. I assume $1000 is pre-insurance.


57 posted on 06/28/2015 10:55:31 PM PDT by NetAddicted (Just looking)
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To: NetAddicted

knowingly spreading HIV-AIDS to an uninfected partner is illegal in probably every state in the union

but PP tells them its their right


58 posted on 06/28/2015 10:57:14 PM PDT by GeronL
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
After 35 years, I can't give blood because I was stationed in Europe during a period when Mad Cow disease was a possibility. I would hazard that I am far less risk than an active homosexual and I still can't donate.

I don';t hear anyone screaming that I am losing "rights" because I can't donate blood - I'd also hazard that I would be allowed to have my own blood taken/stored if I had a big surgery coming up - something that they probably can also do.

Waiting for one State to decide that homos can donate blood then SCOTUS will say all States have to do it because it's "A liberty that cannot be denied".....

59 posted on 06/29/2015 4:19:06 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Ironically the identical sibling of the “homosexual twin” is overwhelmingly likely to be heterosexual.


60 posted on 06/29/2015 6:04:43 AM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
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