Well, This Guy is Quite the Dick

[Guest MikeSC]

DURHAM — The University of New Hampshire’s Student Senate will consider adopting a resolution tomorrow that would challenge the federal government’s policy of banning sexually active gay men from donating blood.

 

Sponsored by student Sen. Nicholas Christiansen, a 19-year-old sophomore, and the student senate’s Community Change Council, the resolution wants the Food and Drug Administration and the American Red Cross to become, in its words, “aware of our strong opposition to the policy that bans sexually active homosexual males from ever donating blood, and that the students are dedicated to equal treatment and opportunity for all people, regardless of sexual orientation.”

 

If adopted, the resolution would recommend that UNH seek a group other than the Red Cross for campus blood drives. The FDA’s policy has been in place since the 1980s and is meant to avoid spreading HIV, the virus that causes AIDs. About half of reported cases of HIV infections are among gay men.

 

“We’re not trying to ban the Red Cross from our campus, at least not immediately,” Christiansen said. “The resolution states that we’re going to try and find someone else to take our blood.”

 

Christiansen, who is gay, said he began working on the resolution during winter break after friends questioned why gay men are prohibited from giving blood. He acknowledged that the Red Cross is adhering to federal guidelines but said his resolution calls out the Red Cross because that group opposes any change in the FDA policy.

 

Michael Freedman, chief of American Red Cross Blood Services for New England, said the issue has been raised on other college campuses in the region but he was not aware of a formal resolution from a student government group. He said the Red Cross is following FDA guidelines in barring gay men sexually active since 1977 from being blood donors.

 

“We are supportive of the science that would make the blood supply as safe as possible, and allow as many people as possible to donate safely,” he said.

 

Other factors limiting blood donation include illness, drug use, and time spent in countries with diseases or viruses that can be passed through blood. For example, travelers to the United Kingdom are not allowed to give blood in the United States because of fears of spreading mad-cow disease, Freedman said.

 

The Red Cross holds blood drives on the UNH campus throughout the academic year.

 

College campuses and high schools provide about 360,000 pints of blood, or 15 percent, of all the blood collected for banks in New England, Freedman said.

 

“All major colleges are important,” he said. “First, because of the volume, and also because people can donate over their lifetime and we believe it’s important to get people to start early and get in the volunteer mindset of donating blood.”

 

Freedman said Red Cross representatives would speak with UNH students about the policy if invited, but that he was not aware of any Red Cross representatives planning to attend the student senate meeting tomorrow.

 

“I think a lot of people say, they’re the Red Cross, and they are great, but it doesn’t mean they can discriminate,” Christiansen said. “I think it would send a really strong message to say even the Red Cross can’t do this.”

http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_sho...l?article=50971

So, this dipshit wants to ban the Red Cross from doing blood drives at UNH because they accept blood from gay men?

 

Umm, WTF?

 

First off, blood products are quite safe with proper testing --- and, yes, the Red Cross DOES proper testing. As do, I can say with some certainty, the hospitals that receive the blood.

 

This fucktard wants to use his gay-hating to possibly kill others who need this blood.

 

Fuck him.

-=Mike

[Boon 0]

Wait- I'm really confused. Who are you talking about?

 

This Christiansen fellow is gay, and it seems like he's trying to get the Red Cross banned b/c they don't accept blood from gays. Am I reading this wrong?

 

Side note- I'm from NH. It's boring in Durham, they have nothing better to do then start shit.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

So, this dipshit wants to ban the Red Cross from doing blood drives at UNH because they accept blood from gay men?

 

Umm, WTF?

 

First off, blood products are quite safe with proper testing --- and, yes, the Red Cross DOES proper testing. As do, I can say with some certainty, the hospitals that receive the blood.

 

This fucktard wants to use his gay-hating to possibly kill others who need this blood.

 

Fuck him.

      -=Mike

Did you read the article? You're way off here.

 

EDIT: I know you don't mean it this way, or I hope you don't, but you bolding the factoid about gays and AIDS while demonizing the gay guy who wants gays to donate blood can be considered pretty offensive right there.

[Jingus 0]

I understand that gay men would feel a bit peeved that the Red Cross refuses to accept their blood. I'd feel the same way. So I'd also understand setting up a separate, secondary blood drive aimed at gay men. But what I don't understand is banning the Red Cross from campus altogether.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I understand that gay men would feel a bit peeved that the Red Cross refuses to accept their blood. I'd feel the same way. So I'd also understand setting up a separate, secondary blood drive aimed at gay men. But what I don't understand is banning the Red Cross from campus altogether.

He's just trying to find someone that LETS him take his blood. This IS discrimination against him.

[Guest MikeSC]

Wait- I'm really confused.  Who are you talking about?

 

This Christiansen fellow is gay, and it seems like he's trying to get the Red Cross banned b/c they don't accept blood from gays.  Am I reading this wrong?

 

Side note-  I'm from NH.  It's boring in Durham, they have nothing better to do then start shit.

Misread it, I suppose. I always thought the Red Cross DID take blood from gay people (they've never asked me my sexual orientation while donating, so I doubted they asked others). I totally misread the article. Misread it to thinking he wanted to ban the RC because they took blood from gays.

 

My bad.

-=Mike

[Vyce 0]

Huh?

 

I thought the story's about how he wants to ban the Red Cross because they WON'T accept blood from sexually active gay men (a position on the part of the federal government which is justified, given the statistics).

[Boon 0]

Huh?

 

I thought the story's about how he wants to ban the Red Cross because they WON'T accept blood from sexually active gay men (a position on the part of the federal government which is justified, given the statistics).

It is. See above for Mike's explanation.

 

The moral of the story is to push toward establishing up-to-date FDA regulations or, if it's still a big deal, note that the blood is from a homosexual. Not that it should matter, like Mike said, all that stuff is tested beyond belief.

 

Yes, it's discrimination. However, I'm with Jingus. Banning the Red Cross is about as boneheaded as you can get. I'm all for equal opportunites when it benefits the public, but let's not get stupid.

 

Just call up Jeb or Sununu or someone and get it fixed.

 

Besides, Everyone Has Aids.

[2GOLD 0]

So why not just not tell the Red Cross that you're gay?

I mean, everyone's blood should be tested and screened before being put into circulation anyway so why is the question of sexual orientation even coming up?

 

If all blood is screened for HIV/AIDS anyway, why does the question of, "Are you gay?" even come into play?

[Styles 0]

Mike might want to edit his first post. I re-read the article and his response 3 times before reading other replies and figuring out what he was talking about...

[Guest MikeSC]

Mike might want to edit his first post. I re-read the article and his response 3 times before reading other replies and figuring out what he was talking about...

I'd like to --- but I totally f'd up and will suffer the consequences.

-=Mike

[Boon 0]

So why not just not tell the Red Cross that you're gay?

I mean, everyone's blood should be tested and screened before being put into circulation anyway so why is the question of sexual orientation even coming up?

 

If all blood is screened for HIV/AIDS anyway, why does the question of, "Are you gay?" even come into play?

I'm sure it comes about as a technicality. Because it's still on the books, it's probably on the sheet you have to fill out before they let you donate. I'm surprised more people at the Red Cross don't just say, "We don't care if you're gay, we test the blood the same way." Maybe they don't test it the same way? I'd find that hard to believe, though.

[Guest MikeSC]

So why not just not tell the Red Cross that you're gay?

I mean, everyone's blood should be tested and screened before being put into circulation anyway so why is the question of sexual orientation even coming up?

 

If all blood is screened for HIV/AIDS anyway, why does the question of, "Are you gay?" even come into play?

I'm sure it comes about as a technicality. Because it's still on the books, it's probably on the sheet you have to fill out before they let you donate. I'm surprised more people at the Red Cross don't just say, "We don't care if you're gay, we test the blood the same way." Maybe they don't test it the same way? I'd find that hard to believe, though.

The only plausible defense is that testing isn't 100% --- but it seems like the odds are so minimal that it's not worth it any longer.

 

Back in the 1980's, it might have made a lot of sense. Now --- not.

-=Mike

[2GOLD 0]

So why not just not tell the Red Cross that you're gay?

I mean, everyone's blood should be tested and screened before being put into circulation anyway so why is the question of sexual orientation even coming up?

 

If all blood is screened for HIV/AIDS anyway, why does the question of, "Are you gay?" even come into play?

I'm sure it comes about as a technicality. Because it's still on the books, it's probably on the sheet you have to fill out before they let you donate. I'm surprised more people at the Red Cross don't just say, "We don't care if you're gay, we test the blood the same way." Maybe they don't test it the same way? I'd find that hard to believe, though.

 

THAT is what worries me.

I don't understand WHY they won't take gay blood. Is the Red Cross afraid of catching the gay?

 

Do they think once blood is removed from a gay man that it's like the virus from Outbreak and the male techs will suddenly have the urge to just go at in the Blood drive trailer?

 

All blood should be tested the same. I don't care who you are having sex with or if you are having sex at all. All blood should go through the HIV/AIDS screening and the question shouldn't even be asked.

[Guest sek69]

Personally, I'm wary of donating blood after my aunt nearly died from a blood infection.

[Boon 0]

Yep.

 

Still wouldn't ban the Red Cross, though.

[Guest MikeSC]

Personally, I'm wary of donating blood after my aunt nearly died from a blood infection.

And that is cool. If you do not wish to donate blood, that is fully within your rights.

 

But, even if they "discriminate" (which is f'n idiotic), banning the RC from campus blood drives is retarded.

-=Mike

[2GOLD 0]

Shouldn't he just campaign to get the Red Cross to lift the ban on gays donating blood and make it obvious that since blood testing should be done on all blood that there is no longer a need for such an action of banning to take place?

 

I mean, wouldn't it be wiser to do THAT instead of banning the Red Cross??

[Boon 0]

[see my previous posts]

 

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

This will result in the RC lifting their ban before they are banned themselves.

 

I don't see how they are justified in this though, unlike Vyce. All people might have AIDS, and since the blood itself is tested, there's no reason to wonder what else they might be doing in their personal life. If the blood is 100%, there should be no problem.

 

Also, I imagine they ask about sexual history, which is how they found out about his homosexuality.

[Boon 0]

I think it depends, b/c they didn't ask Mike, and they didn't ask me.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

So why not just not tell the Red Cross that you're gay?

I mean, everyone's blood should be tested and screened before being put into circulation anyway so why is the question of sexual orientation even coming up?

 

If all blood is screened for HIV/AIDS anyway, why does the question of, "Are you gay?" even come into play?

Because gayness is spread the same way as vampirism.

[Guest MikeSC]

I think it depends, b/c they didn't ask Mike, and they didn't ask me.

Heck, at the big blood drives at college, they didn't ask me a damned thing. They didn't have the time.

-=Mike

[Guest Failed Mascot]

I had a friend in elementary school that suffered from that disease where his wounds wouldn't close and he needed to get blood each time. One of the blood transfusions he got was infected with AIDS and he ended up dying Freshman year of High School. He got the transfusion back in the late 80s though before there was testing. Needless to say we didn't need to watch the tapes of that Ryan kid who suffered the same thing and became known nationwide. We had a prime example right before us of why testing blood was so important.

 

Thing that sucks the most is the kid was possibly the nicest guy in the world. Even towards the end of his life when he had a stomach tube and morphine unit placed in him he never just shat on life. He went to school everday that he could and was very positive. I don't think a single person refused to go near him because he had AIDS either.

 

Whole thing just got me thinking to it so I appologise for rambling and side-tracking shit.

[MrRant 0]

Wait- I'm really confused.  Who are you talking about?

 

This Christiansen fellow is gay, and it seems like he's trying to get the Red Cross banned b/c they don't accept blood from gays.  Am I reading this wrong?

 

Side note-  I'm from NH.  It's boring in Durham, they have nothing better to do then start shit.

Misread it, I suppose. I always thought the Red Cross DID take blood from gay people (they've never asked me my sexual orientation while donating, so I doubted they asked others). I totally misread the article. Misread it to thinking he wanted to ban the RC because they took blood from gays.

 

My bad.

-=Mike

Where a pink feather boa and talk with a lisp and see how far you get.

[Guest MikeSC]

Wait- I'm really confused.  Who are you talking about?

 

This Christiansen fellow is gay, and it seems like he's trying to get the Red Cross banned b/c they don't accept blood from gays.  Am I reading this wrong?

 

Side note-  I'm from NH.  It's boring in Durham, they have nothing better to do then start shit.

Misread it, I suppose. I always thought the Red Cross DID take blood from gay people (they've never asked me my sexual orientation while donating, so I doubted they asked others). I totally misread the article. Misread it to thinking he wanted to ban the RC because they took blood from gays.

 

My bad.

-=Mike

Where a pink feather boa and talk with a lisp and see how far you get.

Can it be a fuchsia boa?

-=Mike

...How about seafoam?...

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Having interned in the Communications Department of a blood bank while in college, I was told that people would offer to donate blood as a way to get checked for AIDS because if there was something wrong with their donation they would be contacted. That's all I got for this...

[Guest Cerebus]

Whenever I donate blood, which is often, I have to answer a ponderous questioner about the status of my health, if I'm pregnant, if I do drugs, if I went to England during the Mad Cow scare, or if I've had sex with men or people from about a dozen African countries. It's a pretty indepth form.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Only a dozen? They must have consolidated a few from the last time I donated...

[Boon 0]

Having interned in the Communications Department of a blood bank while in college, I was told that people would offer to donate blood as a way to get checked for AIDS because if there was something wrong with their donation they would be contacted. That's all I got for this...

Even though there are a bunch of places where you can get tested for free anyway...