School suspends blood drives over anti-gay donation discrimination

School suspends blood drives over anti-gay donation discrimination

San Jose State University has continued their policy of suspending all campus blood drives, based on the FDA policy that does not allow donations from gay men. They say that this violates their discrimination policies. I suppose they feel they’re making a moral stand.

Former SJSU President Don Kassing found that the Food and Drug Administration policy that bans gay men from donating blood violates the school’s non-discriminatory laws.

In an online message to the campus on Jan. 29, 2008, he stated there would be a suspension of blood drives on campus.

Men who have had sexual relations with other men continue to be banned from donating blood, according to the FDA’s Web site.

President Jon Whitmore decided to continue the suspension against blood drives, said Pat Lopes Harris, director of media relations at SJSU.

“He reviewed the material and he knew the Academic Senate felt strongly about the blood drive suspension,” Harris said. “He respects the position we had taken.”

A man who has had sexual relations with any man, even just once, since 1977, is not allowed to donate blood. It may seem cruel and bigoted, but the FDA policy is in place for good reason. Gay and bisexual men are 44 times more likely to contract HIV. When you’re talking about blood and tissue donation, this is something you just can’t be flexible on. Imagine the horror of receiving a blood transfusion and finding out it’s been tainted with HIV. Just as recently as 2002, two people contracted HIV through tainted blood transfusions. There have been approximately 9,000 Americans infected with AIDS from tainted blood transfusions; tennis player Arthur Ashe and Indiana teenager Ryan White were two famous examples.

http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/05/06/school-suspends-blood-drives-over-anti-gay-donation-discrimination/

Gee, I'll feel SO much better if contract HIV from a straight person that donated blood as opposed to a gay person! :sarcasm:

between HIV contraction and when it shows up in blood tests?

Sorry, but this is NOT the way to change the policy. The need is there and it is not the fault of trauma patients, cancer patients, newborns and millions of others who need blood EVERY DAY. That policy has been in place for decades and the organizers had to know. This is not something to fucking boycott. Lives are at stake.

:D