Odd Moment of the Day

[kybearfuzz]

While answering some questions with a co-worker, the phone rang. It was the Hoxworth Blood Center, calling to let me know that they are desperately in need of my A+ type blood and if I would be interested in donating. They're giving out free tickets to King's Island apparently.

I told the lady on the line that I was permanently deffered. She says "Oh no" in sympathy. I tell her that I'm deferred for a lifestyle choice, not a disease. She says "Okay" and proceeds to ask if I could tell others in my office about the King's Island offer. Uh, okay... I guess...

Strange how my blood type was in such high demand, but is no longer any good. At least they'll stop bugging me now.

PS: Just so you know I coined "lifestyle choice" meaning I was choosing to live a gay man finally, not that I chose to be gay. I thought that read a little strange. I'm sure she didn't know the difference.

Comments

[ericdabear.livejournal.com]

grrr yeah, that really boils my blood. pun not intentional nor all that funny, but fitting.

[hylandr.livejournal.com]

Well, we don't want to be turning all those innocent people gay with our blood to we? After all, everyone knows we're more disease ridden than any given city during the Black Plague.

Unclean! Unclean!

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Ugh! I agree with you. It's disturbing, because in this day and age, I'd say most gay men are more careful about sex than most straight people.

[hylandr.livejournal.com]

*BEEP* Wrong answer but thank you for playing. It seems like a lot of the guys I know still bareback with strangers. One found out his fling was with someone HIV+. He got lucky he didn't catch it. I'm not saying gay people are worse but they definitely aren't better. There's still no need to treat us like pariahs. That's a leftover from the early 80s when people were clueless about AIDS and thought it was "the gay plague".

[cincycub.livejournal.com]

I agree. It's very upsetting. Last year at almost exactly this time, I had to explain to a co-worker why I didn't donate blood.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Sigh.. I know. Usually I miss this call, but strangely, I picked up today.

[hylandr.livejournal.com]

I'm diabetic too. Double whammy!

[vicvmichael.livejournal.com]

A group of us met with the local Red Cross officials to discuss this ruling. I was extremely impressed with the individual who came to talk with us - not what she said, but her professional demeanor and sincerely sympathetic attitude. Sorry for what you went through. Been there, done that, and they wouldn't even give me a cookie.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Well, the stingy jerks should have at least given you a cookie and the sticker that says, "I tried".

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Well, she wasn't necessarily rude. I knew I was deffered before she called, it's just the first time I've told them.

[teachingcub.livejournal.com]

I think the worse part is that there seems to be nothing we can do. We can all not give blood, but they dont really care. They dont want it anyways. I have gay friends who donate and lie..I try to discourage that but they dont seem to get the impact of the larger societal impact anyways...*sigh*

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Well, I guess the irritating part is that I always have sex with protection, taking very careful precautions. My older brother, for example, basically wears no protection and has banged more skanky chicks than I could count. Yet, he is considered acceptable to donate, I am not, simply because of who I sleep with. I know the opposite can be just as true, but it seems terribly unbalanced.