California Mayor Hosts Blood Drive that Bans Him, Other Gay Men
Source: San Jose Inside
Evan Low can host a blood drive, but can’t donate his own blood. Still, the openly gay mayor of Campbell and openly gay Vice Mayor Rich Waterman will lead an American Red Cross drive this afternoon—both for charity’s sake and to make a statement against the federal ban that prohibits men who admit to having sex with other men from giving blood.
“We can use this as an opportunity to strongly encourage the FDA to re-evaluate their policies to make them more inclusive,” Low says. “Because right now, I can host a blood drive, but can’t donate blood.”
... “There’s a huge pool of people who want to help,” Low says. “The LGBT community wants to donate. … We’re missing out on all these potential resources.”
... Low wants to underscore the hypocrisy of existing policies, which allow sexually promiscuous heterosexuals to donate but bans a gay man even if he’s in a 15-year monogamous relationship. HIV screenings are a routine part of blood donation these days anyway. More than sexual orientation should determine a person’s eligibility to donate, according to the Campbell mayor.
Read more: http://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/entries/7_31_13_campbell_mayor_evan_low_blood_drive_gay_men/
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