Does Red Cross Blood Drive discriminate?
March 18 2004 A few days ago, I heard a radio talk show about some controversy brewing at Western Oregon University, located in Monmouth, OR. There is a proposal before the student council to not support a Red Cross blood drive on campus because folks who have had “gay sex” are not allowed to donate blood. Some feel this is discrimination while others feel it is a prudent safety step to protect the blood supply from HIV. I posted a “middle of the road” type of response to their forum found on the web. Here is what I said. Banning the Red Cross from campus seems a bit too confrontational, but I think the Red Cross should be encouraged to improve their screening questions. Gay sex is kind of a broad category that a lot of things are lumped into. Some of these activities are risky while others are not. I would be worried about a shortage of blood donors since quite a few people may be weeded out of the donor pool needlessly. Some folks define gay sex as nothing more than intense cuddling
