Bryant Pride raises awareness for gay rights
Jenna Morris, Campus News Editor
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: Campus News
Each year there are numerous blood drives at Bryant University, which students are encouraged to participate in. There are obviously many benefits to donating blood. Blood donations are used to help people with cancer, sickle cell anemia, blood disorders, and other illnesses. In fact, according to the American Red Cross, every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. However some people are not allowed to donate blood, for example, sexually active homosexual men.
The Red Cross asks all potential donors if they have had male-to-male sex or sexual activity with a male who might be bisexual within the last twelve months. If someone answers yes to either of these questions, they are not allowed to donate blood, even if protection was used during the sexual activity.
The Red Cross does not ask heterosexual donors if they have safe sex. This means heterosexual donors who have had unsafe sex with multiple partners can give blood, but gay or bisexual men who have had protected sex with one partner cannot. A straight man who has had unprotected sex with several prostitutes can give blood after one year.
This ban was put in place in 1983, when people legitimately thought that HIV and AIDS were gay diseases. Research has shown that AIDS is a disease that affects people of all genders, races, and sexual orientations, yet the ban is still in place.
Approximately 10% of the world population is gay, which means that is 10% less blood that could be used to save lives.
In order to raise awareness about this issue, members of Bryant Pride and numerous Bryant faculty and staff members handed out fliers stating the rules which ban gay men from donating blood outside of the most recent blood drive, which was last Tuesday and Wednesday.
So, how can you help? Next time there is a blood drive on campus, consider donating for those who cannot. A new law has been proposed entitled the U.S. Blood Donor Nondiscrimination Resolution, which asks the federal government to repeal a rule that bans healthy gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
This law is currently being proposed in California and is moving to their state senate in January. If you feel strongly about this issue, you can help by contacting your own state senator and urge them to make changes within your state.
The Red Cross asks all potential donors if they have had male-to-male sex or sexual activity with a male who might be bisexual within the last twelve months. If someone answers yes to either of these questions, they are not allowed to donate blood, even if protection was used during the sexual activity.
The Red Cross does not ask heterosexual donors if they have safe sex. This means heterosexual donors who have had unsafe sex with multiple partners can give blood, but gay or bisexual men who have had protected sex with one partner cannot. A straight man who has had unprotected sex with several prostitutes can give blood after one year.
This ban was put in place in 1983, when people legitimately thought that HIV and AIDS were gay diseases. Research has shown that AIDS is a disease that affects people of all genders, races, and sexual orientations, yet the ban is still in place.
Approximately 10% of the world population is gay, which means that is 10% less blood that could be used to save lives.
In order to raise awareness about this issue, members of Bryant Pride and numerous Bryant faculty and staff members handed out fliers stating the rules which ban gay men from donating blood outside of the most recent blood drive, which was last Tuesday and Wednesday.
So, how can you help? Next time there is a blood drive on campus, consider donating for those who cannot. A new law has been proposed entitled the U.S. Blood Donor Nondiscrimination Resolution, which asks the federal government to repeal a rule that bans healthy gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
This law is currently being proposed in California and is moving to their state senate in January. If you feel strongly about this issue, you can help by contacting your own state senator and urge them to make changes within your state.
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