TAINTED BLOOD
Queers and supporters are picketing in South Africa.
In a country with the world's highest number of HIV cases (more than 5 million people infected) they are still under the impression that HIV/AIDS is a gay disease. South African officials announced earlier this month that gay men are banned from donating blood in South Africa. Queer activists are up in arms over this draconian, homophobic rule. (http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid24435.asp)
Let's join them. It's not like things are any different in the U.S. Gay men are banned from giving blood here too. As is anyone who was "born in, or lived in, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger, or Nigeria, since 1977." (http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html)
Ironically, South Africans, as long as they're not gay, slipped under this racist American radar which of course was invented 20 years ago before that country had the devastating rates of infection it now sees. Not that I'm advocating that any more countries be added to the U.S. list of tainted national origins.
U.S. activists could seize the moment to show international solidarity and protest outside American Red Cross offices. Good old fashioned take-to-the streets activism. A unifying point for blacks and gays (well timed with the National Black Justice Coaltion's "Black Church Summit" in Atlanta this week.)
Imagine the posters and picket signs: "HIV doesn't discriminate, why does The Red Cross?" "My blood's not tainted just because U.S. law is." "How many will die because you won't accept our blood?"
Written by Meg Daly
Meg is a freelance writer, newly transplanted to San Francisco. She is the former features editor at Just Out, Portland's queer newsmagazine. Her articles have appeared in national and regional press, including Tikkun, Grist online magazine, Punk Planet, Portland Monthly, Oregon Business, and Willamette Week. She is the editor of two anthologies on women's friendships, including Surface Tension: Love, Sex, and Politics Between Lesbians and Straight Women.
In a country with the world's highest number of HIV cases (more than 5 million people infected) they are still under the impression that HIV/AIDS is a gay disease. South African officials announced earlier this month that gay men are banned from donating blood in South Africa. Queer activists are up in arms over this draconian, homophobic rule. (http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid24435.asp)
Let's join them. It's not like things are any different in the U.S. Gay men are banned from giving blood here too. As is anyone who was "born in, or lived in, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Niger, or Nigeria, since 1977." (http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html)
Ironically, South Africans, as long as they're not gay, slipped under this racist American radar which of course was invented 20 years ago before that country had the devastating rates of infection it now sees. Not that I'm advocating that any more countries be added to the U.S. list of tainted national origins.
U.S. activists could seize the moment to show international solidarity and protest outside American Red Cross offices. Good old fashioned take-to-the streets activism. A unifying point for blacks and gays (well timed with the National Black Justice Coaltion's "Black Church Summit" in Atlanta this week.)
Imagine the posters and picket signs: "HIV doesn't discriminate, why does The Red Cross?" "My blood's not tainted just because U.S. law is." "How many will die because you won't accept our blood?"
Written by Meg Daly
Meg is a freelance writer, newly transplanted to San Francisco. She is the former features editor at Just Out, Portland's queer newsmagazine. Her articles have appeared in national and regional press, including Tikkun, Grist online magazine, Punk Planet, Portland Monthly, Oregon Business, and Willamette Week. She is the editor of two anthologies on women's friendships, including Surface Tension: Love, Sex, and Politics Between Lesbians and Straight Women.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, January 19, 2006 at 2:20 PM.
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