Gay and Giving Blood

GAY and GIVING BLOOD!

Recently Aaaron Pace a 22 year old from Indiana went to "Bio Blood Components Inc." to donate blood. When he was in the interview process he was rejected and wanted to know why. He was told that he appeared to be gay and for that reason was not allowed to continue to donate his blood.

While this may sound like discrimination to most, surprisingly it is not. According to a law passed by the FDA in 1983 all men who had sex with other men since or beyond 1977 were banned from giving blood. The law was passed because at the time there was no way to test the blood to ensure it was not HIV positive. With the growing epidemic at that time of AIDS the FDA thought it be best if Homosexual men were banned from giving blood.

Pace was outraged for 2 reasons. One, he said "Its not right that homeless people can give blood but homosexuals can't" and two because he said "and I'm not even a homosexual." According to the "Chicago Sun Times" he is "admittedly and noticeably effeminate, however he says he is not gay.

Unfortunately that isn't the point here. According to recent studies hospitals lose hundreds of thousands of pints of blood each year due to homosexuals not being allowed to contribute blood to needy banks. It's ludicrous to not allow someone to perform an act of kindness based on his/her sexuality. We have come so far towards breaking barbaric barriers down and now celebrate every ones right towards equality. Same sex couples can now wed in many of our states and so many feel less alone due to an outpouring of love supporting all sexualities. This FDA law is primitive. It certainly served its purpose in 1983 when we had no way of knowing if blood would test positive for HIV. No one would want HIV to become an enormous epidemic again. However now our resources can test the blood in the banks and ensure it is pure to give to those in need. Anyone willing to give blood to save another human life should be given the right to do just that. The FDA needs to review and reevaluate this law. Think of the many lives that could be saved by eliminating just one little law. The FDA is getting the GAG thumbs down. Time to get with the times...everyone healthy should be able to DONATE BLOOD!