Gay Men Can Only Donate Blood In the Closet

Fidel Castro
Staff Writer

    Walking by a blood donation bus is almost unavoidable on any Broward College (BC) campus—but if you are a gay man, you should probably save yourself some time and immediately tell them, “I am gay.” You will see how quickly the employee will sigh and turn to look for another possible donor.

    “If you are a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977,” you are ineligible to donate blood because you pose the risk of having HIV/AIDS, as implemented by the FDA. It is also listed on the Red Cross donation center’s website under the category of HIV/AIDS which somewhat implies most homosexual men who have ever (even once) been sexually active are probably infected with the deadly virus.

    The “Big Red Bus” usually parks outside the only main entrance to BC’s Miramar Town Center, which allows employees from blood centers to ask most people who enter if they are able to donate. One day, I recognized a former flame working, trying to convince people to donate blood in order to save lives. Saying hello was my only option once we locked eyes, but I was startled when he approached and asked if I was willing to donate blood.

    Working at an organization that discriminates against the both of us was one thing, but he went as far as to ask me to lie about my sexual orientation and history in order to save lives. “It is not a big deal, I have to do it all the time,” he claimed, in order to meet a certain quota. I was stunned.

    I knew this man on an intimate level, and the audacity of him to ask me to lie about our relationship just to meet his quota felt insulting to me at the time. There is no way I would walk back into that closet just to lend him a hand!

    In theory, to lie about your sexual orientation to save someone’s life is not a mortal sin; it is just not right. There is no harm done, especially if you test regularly and know your status, but it is unethical because it does involve deceit.

    Taniamary Marquez, a BC student who formerly worked at a blood bank in Hialeah opened up about her thoughts on the guidelines and her experiences at the bank. “Sometimes, very questionable people would walk through the door and as long as they checked off the correct boxes, they were able to donate. It is sad, because there is such a large gay community in South Florida who could contribute but they are being discriminated against,” said Marquez.

    The policy, regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has received criticism from defenders of the gay community for years. Rumors circulate constantly in media that change to the policy is coming soon, but it seems the chances of marriage are more likely for gay men as the recognition of their commitments is a current hot-button topic.

    For now, it is up to each individual gay man to decide about whether a visit to the closet is worth potentially saving a life. Personally, I will wait until these guidelines reflect the ideals of equality.