Hey gays: about giving blood...

A few gay friends of mine essentially boycott giving blood, because of the fact that the Red Cross (and others) discriminate against gay men. I personally don't boycott, because the Red Cross is not the one benefiting from me giving blood; the people receiving the blood are, and they have no control over the Red Cross' rules. If it were the Red Cross benefiting, yeah, I'd take a stand, but like I said, it doesn't matter so much to them either way. It's the lives I could potentially be saving that I'm thinking about.

What do you think?

it really bugs me that they still have that rule up. It needs to be changed asap.
I have never given blood mainly cause I am afraid of needles lol, but if I wanted to there are only two options for me and that is to either lie and say I'm not gay (and I know people who have) or not give blood at all. I think that is ridiculous and pathetic. They should be checking all blood they get regardless so it shouldn't matter what your sexual orientation is

Yup, it's a bullshit rule. I would just lie anyway- but I was born in Europe in the 80s, and I might have mad cow disease so I DOUBLY can't give blood.

But I think you're right, no one should boycott it. That's not helping anyone. Now if it gets to a point to where you have to say 'Gay' on your driver's license when you have the donor sticker on, so that doctors can weed out the homo organs, that's when you boycott something. In this case, the government is just ASKING you to lie.

Besides, don't they test the blood anyway?

AIDS

Yes. They do test blood. All of it.

I donated. I almost passed out. I hate giving blood :p

It is ridiculous. I love donating blood, and a few months ago, I heard them asking someone if he's had sex with another man in the last 10 years. I was just like "...What kind of a question is that?"

And like Doug said, they test ALL the blood they get! That makes someone sexual orientation totally irrelevant.

I always go to give blood whenever there's a blood drive and don't lie and you'd be surprised, some of the techs that take the blood still take it because they think it's bullshit too. But if they're like "Well, then you can't give blood." I'm just like "Well, then you just killed someone."

Seriously though...why do they even have the blood "van" in Chelsea if they don't want gay blood? HAHAHA!

But I've still answered yes and they take blood anyway like 5 times.

Really?? Holy crap. I've never heard that before. Too bad I live in Ohio, and I have little faith in their ability to think for themselves...

HAHA! Yeah, it actually never even happened when I'd do it up in Mass...it's probably all about location. Or maybe they just take it and throw it away...which I'm also fine with.

Val du Fontennay wrote:

But if they're like "Well, then you can't give blood." I'm just like "Well, then you just killed someone."

I'm totally trying that next time I go! Bwahaha.

Doug wrote:

Too bad I live in Ohio, and I have little faith in their ability to think for themselves...

Yeah...when I went to college in Ohio (College of Wooster), I ran into this problem. I feel like Ohio is often behind the times.

My fraternity ran the blood drive there so I was all about supporting the Red Cross and donating. When I got the question, "Have you ever had anal sex with a man since 1977?" at first I was like... O.o ... and then I was like... "Umm...Yes I have." After a long discussion with them about why I couldn't donate blood and them not really giving me a solid answer...I just gave up and left. I was even put on the phone with some director with the Red Cross, but she was like "We don't know for certain...YOU COULD HAVE AIDS!!" Ok, not quite like that, but that's how it felt.

Stupid people and their stupid prejudice. I'm now "deferred indefinitely" from donating blood with the Red Cross. Not sure if that was just locally in Ohio though. I still support the Red Cross and the work they do...but c'mon...

It just pisses me off so much. Even as a straight female, I get SO frustrated every time I'm at a blood drive and I hear them ask these questions!

THEY TEST ALL THE BLOOD ANYWAYS!

Besides, since when are gay men the only ones to have AIDS? Why discriminate against THEM, when ANYONE can have it!?

I swear, Red Cross just like rejecting blood... and then telling people we MUST donate because they don't have enough. Every time they come to my university's campus, they have a sign up sheet, and turn away about three quarters of the people who want to donate blood. They're just like "Sorry! No spots left and we're only here for one day!" They KNOW our campus loves to donate blood, so why not stay longer and get some extra blood!?!? Seriously, they just like turning down offered blood.

Ughiahjgosidpgsdg. Now I'm all worked up and frustrated. I'm going to go calm down now.

I tried to organize a giving blood en mass situation with the GLBT on my campus where we all went down to give blood but would all not deny being homosexual just to make a point......pussies all chickened out.

Aw! That woulda been awesome, aaand a great idea.

Yeah, it would have been pretty sweet.

At the ambulance corps I work at part-time there was a blood-drive that I helped organize, but I ended up sneaking away because I didn't want to be outed to the other EMTs, some of which are super-homophobic...awkward...