The next equality issue

Posted on July 17, 2003 by Gene

As a member of the Arlington Community Emergency Response Team, I received a message today urging me to give blood along with other local leaders, first responders, and educators today at the Arlington Red Cross. There is currently a critical blood shortage.
The problem is that in a ridiculous, knee-jerk reaction to AIDS, gay people are not allowed to donate blood in the United States.
This is clearly a pointless act of discrimination, especially when one considers that the gay community is not where AIDS is at it’s greatest rate of infection anymore. It sends the message that gay people are in some way dangerous, untouchable, pariahs.
Imagine if this discrimination was directed at another group – say that black persons were not allowed to give blood.
This is not 1953, folks.
The Arlington Red Cross expects media coverage today at this blood drive. Perhaps the media could point out how people like me feel about not being allowed to do our part to help.