Red Cross Blood Drive is Discriminatory Against Gays

Author: Kristina Rudd

I am concerned about Atwater Commons' sponsorship of the American Red Cross Blood Drive on Monday, Sept. 23.
The blood drive is indeed a worthy cause, but I wonder if Middlebury College is aware of the policies of the American Red Cross concerning homosexual men.
According to the American Red Cross eligibility requirements for the donation of blood, no man who has ever, since 1977, had sex with another man may ever donate blood.
They specify that "those who are at increased risk for becoming infected with HIV are not eligible to donate blood. According to the Food and Drug Administration, you are at increased risk if you are a male who has had sex with another male since 1977, even once."
This is blatant discrimination based upon obsolete prejudices regarding gay men as the propagators of HIV and AIDS.
This grouping together of all bisexual and homosexual men as "HIV carriers" is wrong.
The eligibility requirement does not allow a gay man who has never had unprotected sex and who is HIV negative to donate blood.
I believe that it is Middlebury College's responsibility as a non-discriminatory institution to speak up about this injustice, rather than to support it.
It is an outrage to all supporters of gay rights and justice in our community that Middlebury College is sponsoring the American Red Cross in its promotion of discrimination on this campus.
I request that Middlebury College refrain from sponsoring American Red Cross events in the future, and instead take a positive stance against this form of discrimination on our campus.

Kristina Rudd is a senior from Ann Arbor, Michigan.