Tasmanian Gay Man Fights the Red Cross for Right to Donate Blood
Friday 15th August 2008
Australia is in the midst of a fierce legal battle over, of all things, blood donation.
In October 2004, 21-year-old electronics technician Michael Cain visited a local blood donation centre in his home country of Tasmania.
He filled out a Red Cross questionnaire, which included a question asking whether he had engaged in homosexual intercourse in the last twelve months. Cain answered yes, and was rejected as a blood donor.
Cain's rejection sparked a lawsuit alleging a breach of Tasmania's anti-discrimination legislation, which bans discrimination due to sexual orientation or because of any lawful sexual activity. Homosexuality is legal in Tasmania.
Now the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal is hearing the case. On one side are the Red Cross, which claims allowing gay blood donors would bring “infection and death”, and see a sharp rise in accidental HIV infection.
On the other are most gay groups, who argue that gay men are being unfairly discriminated against as only practicing unsafe sex and that modern screening methods mean there will be almost no cases of accidental HIV transmission.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson Rodney Croome called the Red Cross' anti-gay blood donation arguments a "statistical diatribe against gay men."
"The Red Cross cited statistics about rates of HIV and other infections in the gay community which were misleading because the infections in question arise from unsafe sex, not gay sex, and because almost all these infections are increasing dramatically in other groups which aren't banned from blood donation. It was particularly offensive and unprofessional for the Red Cross to assert that "monogamy is a myth" in regard to men who have sex with men. " he added.
Cain, and the LGBT rights groups that support him, argue that because he engages in safe sex there is no more risk that he would spread HIV in the blood supply than any heterosexual man.
During arguments yesterday it was heard that statistics showed that if gay men were allowed to donate blood then HIV positive blood would slip through the cracks about once every two centuries. Red Cross witness and risk assessment expert Dr William Leiss provided statistics claiming HIV would run rampant through the blood supply, but mathematicians showed that the model he used to analyze his claim was flawed.
Do you want to join Pinke's team of paid writers? We're looking for writers all over the world to write about the gay issues that matter all over the globe. We're particularly looking for travel writers and writers in Asia/Africa/the Middle East, but we'll consider anyone with great writing skills and an interest in the subject. Email Pinke editor Robert Knox with a writing sample for more information.
In October 2004, 21-year-old electronics technician Michael Cain visited a local blood donation centre in his home country of Tasmania.
He filled out a Red Cross questionnaire, which included a question asking whether he had engaged in homosexual intercourse in the last twelve months. Cain answered yes, and was rejected as a blood donor.
Cain's rejection sparked a lawsuit alleging a breach of Tasmania's anti-discrimination legislation, which bans discrimination due to sexual orientation or because of any lawful sexual activity. Homosexuality is legal in Tasmania.
Now the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal is hearing the case. On one side are the Red Cross, which claims allowing gay blood donors would bring “infection and death”, and see a sharp rise in accidental HIV infection.
On the other are most gay groups, who argue that gay men are being unfairly discriminated against as only practicing unsafe sex and that modern screening methods mean there will be almost no cases of accidental HIV transmission.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson Rodney Croome called the Red Cross' anti-gay blood donation arguments a "statistical diatribe against gay men."
"The Red Cross cited statistics about rates of HIV and other infections in the gay community which were misleading because the infections in question arise from unsafe sex, not gay sex, and because almost all these infections are increasing dramatically in other groups which aren't banned from blood donation. It was particularly offensive and unprofessional for the Red Cross to assert that "monogamy is a myth" in regard to men who have sex with men. " he added.
Cain, and the LGBT rights groups that support him, argue that because he engages in safe sex there is no more risk that he would spread HIV in the blood supply than any heterosexual man.
During arguments yesterday it was heard that statistics showed that if gay men were allowed to donate blood then HIV positive blood would slip through the cracks about once every two centuries. Red Cross witness and risk assessment expert Dr William Leiss provided statistics claiming HIV would run rampant through the blood supply, but mathematicians showed that the model he used to analyze his claim was flawed.
Do you want to join Pinke's team of paid writers? We're looking for writers all over the world to write about the gay issues that matter all over the globe. We're particularly looking for travel writers and writers in Asia/Africa/the Middle East, but we'll consider anyone with great writing skills and an interest in the subject. Email Pinke editor Robert Knox with a writing sample for more information.
