Man says he was rejected by blood bank for seeming gay

They are VERY strict about the blood supply. I tried to donate once and was rejected just because I was in England in 1981.

They have a rule against that too because of fears of Mad Cow disease, I never had any symptoms of the disease, never saw anyone who did, and no shred of evidence that I ever came in contact with tainted meat.

From the all the other protocols besides those two examples here that they have of rejecting people, it, it doesn't seem simply as much as a discrimination about gays.

I guess it's a lot more about avoiding any hint that the blood supply is less than pure is a bigger priority than anything about people's lifestyle or any shortages they might have to get more donors

Best story I've seen in ages: this incident highlights how absurd the gay-blood-giving ban really is. One can always lie on the questionnaire (as I have before; though I loathe giving blood).

Act effeminate? NO blood-giving for you! Never mind that all given blood is screened *anyway*!

Let's focus on lifting this ban, even while we seek Gay Marriage.

To be honest, I'm a little annoyed that this only suddenly became an issue when it happened to someone who was straight.

I thought it was ridiculously fucked up when I first donated blood that gay people couldn't do it.

It's blatantly discriminatory and totally unscientific. They should test all the blood anyway (actually, they have to) and gays aren't even the dominant group that have AIDS anymore (which is the reason I assume they ban them).

The labs doing the draws need to get in touch with legislators and bring them up to speed on the testing that is done and the fact that all sorts of people can have aids, and a whole lotta other blood borne diseases. Being gay does not equal being a carrier of ANYTHING. Gads, can we get people in office who recognize reality?

Five years ago, the labs that send out mobile units for blood drives in our rural area stopped taking blood from my husband. He is A- so they were happy to see him for years when they were in town for blood drives. Suddenly, his blood won't do. Reason? They found out he had lived in Europe BACK IN THE late 70s, early 80s. They told him he might have Mad Cow! His blood was fine up until about 3 years ago, then it was no go due to Creutzfeldt–Jakob cases in Europe.

He is a man of science, a man who helps ranchers survive by helping with better stewardship for sustainable and diversified ag. He damned well knows there is mad cow in cattle here in the US and Creutzfeldt–Jakob in the human population also, so he was both amused and bloody angry that suddenly his blood wasn't helpful to anyone.

Well, I am A- too so he can give me a pint or two if I am a quart low. I have no worries about his health. Now, a lot of the people who set policy, THEM I worry about.

People need blood and plasma. It is insane to put up arbitrary barriers for people who want to donate. Bigots need to get over themselves, or perhaps go without transfusions if they need blood!

Ya all know about the guy who developed the whole blood bank concept by developing a way to preserve, store and ship plasma, Dr. Charles Richard Drew? In his lifetime, too many Americans treated people like him as less than human, less than acceptable. Though his work saved countless lives, there were places he would not have been allowed to enter.

Lord what fools these mortals be.

Blood is blood. It does not matter who it comes from. Do these idiots think that straight people don't get AIDS?

ridiculous

Imagine you were in a marriage on the rocky shoals of divorce but divorce would cost too much; Legal fees and all the rest.. Picture yourself in a state that does not recognize 'gay' marriage.
You go to a blood drive and they refuse your blood because you seem 'gay'. Suddenly your marriage is no longer legal, because the State does not allow 'Gay' marriage.
This could be a good thing!

I don't get it. They test the blood. That's the only bar you need.

How is this not discrimination? And it is discrimination required by the US government! What is sad is that we must fight for even the most basic of rights and we still struggle with stereotypes made completely irrelevant years ago. Thats not to say you shouldn't have safe sex, always have safe sex!