Donating Blood (merged)

Reiterating the same point ignoring anything else put to you is pretty damn logical.

 

can I just nip something in the bud here
Peace-Phoenix is NOT homophobic, he may be presenting some points that may make some people angry, but I know him and he's not doing it from an anti gay view point.
I am making this point because i've seen people who have views that the majority of other people don't agree with, being jumped on, its not happened on this thread yet, but by the same token I don't want it too
S

 

I will never donate blood, I need my blood. The only thing I'll donate is my cum to a girls pussy.

 

What else do you expect? No point was put to me. I was simply accused of spouting 'rubbish' and 'bullshit', which in the context of a rational debate is a pretty cheap tactic. I never once claimed to support the position of the NHS, in fact I have passionately argued the opposite case against people in favour of the ban. Nevertheless, it is important to recognise the reasoning behind the ban and, although I disagree with it, I don't see any sense in claiming that the health service as an institution is homophobic considering the overwhelming wealth of countervailing evidence....

 

Personally, if they don't want my gay blood I don't want to give it. I give the same speech to military recruiters.

(I live in the U.S., possibly the most uncivilized western country ever)

 

Really, it's not up to any of us to decide the criteria for acceptable blood. That's the job of the medical community. It's immoral to lie just to do something like giving blood out of spite and in order to satisfy your own sense of justice. Sure, it's discriminatory--by its very nature. But the notion that there's lurking bigotry in the policy is absurd.

 

I know that the need for blood donations is at an all time high. I give blood when I have the time. Recently I was a manager at a retail outlet and invited the blood mobile to the store on several occasions. I encouraged my employees to give and offered a discount to any customers who also did.
My point is that the stipulations have been put in place for a reason. But how long ago was this? Regulations should be evaluated and updated.

 

The thing about legislature is that, unlike people, it doesn't change gradually over time. If bigotry was involved when it was put in place, it'll be inherent there until it's changed. You don't have to be pinning blame on those in charge now to want to see it change.

And so what if it's amoral? They need my blood, but they won't take it unless I lie to them. Spite and justice have nothing to do with it.

 

if your really proud of your sexuality, even if you believe they are wrong personnally I wouldn't lie, I'm not about to pretend I'm straight for anyone, too many of us lie and it just buys into the myth that there is something wrong with us.
besides if all gay people lie they will never change it
S

 

Nothing will change if they don't lie. You say "I'm gay", they say "sorry, you can't give blood". Nothing changes.

I just figure if I can make a difference then I should. If I'm going along to give blood, my sexuality shouldn't even be in my mind. I'm not ashamed any more than I'm overtly "proud", I just don't see how anyone has the right to ask me my sexuality unless they're asking for a fuck.

 

if people lie they will figure its working out fine the way it is.
by giving blood your doing them a favour, but your not doing the gay movement any favours, its about weighing up whats more important to you
S

 

I see your point, I really do, but at the same time, are those who are protesting in favour of gay rights going to stop just because I lied about it? I wouldn't think so. Am I personally going to achieve anything by refusing to give my blood until they change the law? Probably not.

I know it's profoundly unprincipled, but so are most people, and they get to give their blood. To me, it's more important that I am able to live my life the way anyone else takes for granted, rather than being unable to do so for the sake of a fight I stand no chance of winning.

 

thats fine, providing you remember when the nurse takes the blood, you are only able to take so many things in your life for granted because of all the people that where hurt and died fighting for gay rights

if where you live you are able to express your homosexuality without the fear of being killed you are still proundly lucky
S

 

So it's only okay to hide your homosexuality if you're in a liberal utopia?

(semi-joking)

I'd be a lot more peeved if I got queerbashed and there wasn't any blood to transfuse into me than I would from having to lie a bit.

 

I don't know
if a persons sexuality only amounts to a quick fuck at the weekends, then I guess it would be acceptable to lie.
however for people who have life partners, adopted children and have fought for gay rights they are denying all of that every time they lie about their sexuality.
there are other ways of fighting this other than lieing, however it doesn't seem like your that bothered about gay rights, more your own right in this case, to have something that you see everyone else has.

I would also be careful, I don't know wether lieing in this case would be classed as breaking the law
S

 

It would hardly be the first time I'd broken the law.

What's the difference? If everyone else did what I did there wouldn't be a problem. I mean, we could all arrange to jump up a few years later and say "AHA, WE DIDN'T GIVE YOU AIDS!", but I don't know, why bother?

Again, I really do see your point, but Jeeeeeeesus, it's a chioce. Gay rights is great, I just don't see that, because I don't want my sexuality to intrude into something that has nothing at all to do with who I am attracted to/dating/whatever, I'm obviously a shallow **** who has no interest in equality as long as he can get his balls sucked every Friday. Because to be quite honest, it's been a good 8 months since I've had my balls sucked anywhere!

Seriously man, it's great being on the moral highground and all, but I'm quite surprised that you're willing to make like I'm "part of the problem" (and thus open season for any accusation you care to level). It must be nice to be able to separate the world into "gay rights" people and "self-absorbed assholes". (Hyperbole, but that is what you're doing).

 

I do think your being short sighted when it comes to this issue, does that make your an asshole in my way of thinking?
no it doesn't

and if you where a friend of mine believe it or not i wouldn't advise you not to do it, I would advise you to think about it, which you have now done
S

 

I've thought about it a lot, to be honest, and I'm aware that you have to balance your personal rights against a wider social obligation. But in this instance, I don't think anything is gained by stating your sexuality knowing that it will exclude you from giving blood. You're not "raising awareness" because everyone knows that it's the rules. To make a change, you'd need a public platform, and that's something I don't have.

I do also believe that my right to reveal/conceal my sexuality overrides anyone else's right to know about it. That's not to say that I don't shout it loud that I am gay and also proud, but on principle, knowing someone else's sexual preference is a privilege, not a right. No government office is allowed to use data regarding my sexuality (all HR employee monitoring forms are anonymous; has anyone ever tested this by putting in deliberately false information?), so I don't see why it should apply to the health service either.

PS I didn't even know I had a Guestbook until just now. CHEERS.

 

I'm a regular donor. It's one of the few blatant lies I make. I know that my blood is clean and free of disease. I resent that this is their method of screening... as if m4m sex is going to contaminate blood regardless... PERIOD.
I shrug it off as just the way things are in the US of A.