Posted at 6:15 a.m. 3/8/10

It’s long overdue for U.S. senators to lift a ban on gay men to donate blood.

The Associated Press reported last week that a number of senators, including Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said it’s time to lift the 1983 ban on gay men donating blood if they have had sex since 1977.

There’s no need for this ban, especially given the fact that heterosexual couples can contract HIV, too. There is no data to support the ban on homosexual blood donors.

Given the fact that emergency rooms are in desperate need of blood, it only makes sense for the U.S. to lift this ban. The bill is also sexist because it only discriminates men and doesn’t mention homosexual women at all.

Each pint of blood goes under tests to ensure its usability for transfusion anyway, so why does it matter the exact source of the blood? Furthermore, what’s stopping anyone from lying about his or her sexual activities? The important issue is for all blood donations to go under examination to make sure they are safe, then not discriminate based on who donated it.

The general public has evolved. This ban is antiquated and wrong by refusing homosexuals participation in saving lives. The FDA is quoted in the AP report saying that no scientific data gives weight to a donor’s sexual orientation.

Hopefully these senators will continue to rectify this discriminatory ban and move the country one step closer to equality for all people.