San Jose State University has banned campus blood drives to protest the FDA policy that prohibits gay men from donating blood. I hope this type of campus action takes place nationwide and that the FDA will eliminate this homophobic policy. I am not an ethicist, but I do feel that unjustly harming the dignity of gay men is no less an ethical issue than that of supplying donated blood.
San Jose State University President Don Kassing has suspended all campus blood drives in protest of a longstanding government policy that bars gays from donating blood and called the policy discriminatory…
The Food and Drug Administration policy, in effect since the early 1980s, affects any man who has had sex with another man since 1977. The agency says it is necessary because gay men are at increased risk for HIV, hepatitis B and other infections that can be transmitted by transfusions.
Several groups that run blood drives, including the American Red Cross, oppose the ban and say modern blood-screening techniques make the lifetime ban unnecessary.
via Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Tags: discrimination, ethics, Higher Education, LGBT, Social Justice
This is by far the most ridiculous policy I have heard of. This makes me EXTREMELY angry … ALL blood gets tested so where in F(#*$# is the harm in taking blood from a gay men .. If it’s bad, tainted, whatever than throw it out.. The EXACT same policy is in place for us straight people so it makes NO SENSE to turn away blood from a gay men.
The FDA can spin it anyway they want, all this comes down too is old fashioned discrimination that even in 2008 is alive and well.. Bravo to San Jose State.. May your actions shed light on one of the most asenine policies in government history.
OK I just posted a comment
WHAT Happened? This makes my blood boil…Pun intended . Anyways Bravo to San Jose State for the ban. I am an avid donator and it drives me crazy that the FDA has this policy in place.. Yeah back in the early 80s people were frightened and homophobic but we’ve come a long way since then.. Well as long as you don’t look at the three GOP contenders … We know they rigorously test blood for safety and if someone could actually tell me what purpose this ban serves I would love it hear it.. When I go donate, my blood is collected and shipped off to be tested.. and just like if a gay man donates his blood should go THROUGH THE SAME PROCEDURE… one shouldn’t be looked at as safer than the other … So if all blood gets tested anyways then where’s the harm? and HELLO FDA people .. did you ever think that gay men always admit if they’ve had sex with another man within those time frames… I’m sure that happens more times than you can ever imagine… FDA, you can spin this anyway you want.. this ban is antiquated and needs to be lifted immediately …. Just one more government policy that makes no sense.
Hey Eric,
Believe it or not, the Canadian Blood Services has the same damn policy. Student groups across the country are attempting to raise awareness, similarly to what’s being done at San Jose State…I actually blogged about this a few months ago: http://ebiddlecombe.blogspot.com/2007/12/ridiculous.html
[…] It would be wonderful if OSU President Ed Ray would do what San José State University President Don W. Kassing did at the SJSU campus. President Kassing suspended all campus blood drives in protest of the FDA’s homophobic policy citing that the policy violates SJSU’s non-discrimination policy. […]