My blood type, A negative, is rather uncommon. When I learned this in high school, I also found out that I could participate in a double blood cell donation; a process that would effectively allow me to donate twice as much in one sitting by extracting two units of red blood cells and returning my plasma and platelets. The nurse who explained this urged me to become a consistent donor because A negative double blood cell donations were desperately needed.
And so I did. For the remainder of high school and throughout college I would donate blood as often as eligible: once every four months. I've always been passionate about helping other people and this was one small way that I could conveniently contribute. I think I would have gone into the medical field if I didn't get so queasy at the sight of blood (I had to look away and day dream during blood drives!). Instead I was studying business and in my spare time serving as a peer counselor, volunteering for Special Olympics, and leading retreats and social justice immersion trips.
During these years I was also slowly, and I mean at the speed of a tortoise, coming to terms with being gay. I wasn't dating. I wasn't out to the whole campus. But I did have a close group of friends who made me feel supported and accepted. So as I was letting my sexuality sink in, I started to become bothered by the probing Red Cross question of "do you have sex with men?" The answer was still no, but it likely was not going to stay that way forever. And so in 2009, in solidarity with those who were banned, I begrudgingly ceased to donate my blood.
Did you know that a heterosexual man who has knowingly had sex with an HIV positive heterosexual woman can still donate blood so long as he waits 12 months? But a man who has had sex with a man at any point since 1977 cannot. Ever. I find this policy to be discriminatory, humiliating, and above all, unhelpful. Medical experts have urged removing this 30 year old law. As this country is hurtling towards full LGBT inclusion, it is high time that the FDA catches up.
Blood banned,
Sean Patrick Coady
Associate Director